


Blood Curse

by BehindTheRobinsMask



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Age Difference, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Biting, Blow Jobs, Curses, Damian is oldest, Dark, Dick is youngest, Emotional Manipulation, First Time, Frottage, Horror, M/M, Mind Control, Mystery, Robin reversal, Unrequited Love, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 15:16:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18950698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BehindTheRobinsMask/pseuds/BehindTheRobinsMask
Summary: “I know you’re scared but I’m here now and I’m never letting you go.”Dick has always been afraid of the red door beneath the staircase after seeing it in his dreams since he was nine. Running away from the shadows that watch his every move, a voice that calls him home, he finds comfort in the arms of Jason Todd, a man that everyone speaks so highly of. Everyone except Damian.Damian has never been superstitious but ever since he's met Jason Todd, from the moments they shook hands, he's been sure that this man is all kinds of wrong and Damian will stop at nothing to show his family, to show Dick that a monster hides behind Jason's gentle smile.





	1. Haunting

**Author's Note:**

> Song: Haunting by Halsey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I'm begging you to keep haunting me._

_“I know you’re scared.”_

“Dickie?”

_“But I’m here now.”_

“Yoohoo, Dickie?”

_“And I’m never letting you go.”_

“Yo, Wayne!”

Eyes fluttering open, Dick took in his surrounding, the desk, and chairs, students in uniforms talking and giggling, the scent of cigarette smoke in the air laced with sweet perfume. This was his classroom, his school but he didn’t remember anything about the journey here. Everything from the moment he had woken up till now was a blur, his thoughts so consuming that nothing else seemed to matter. He was sure that his behavior had been noticed by his brothers but he couldn’t care about that right now, not when Roy and Wally, his best friends, were staring at him with their eyes narrowed.

“Whatcha thinking about, Dickie?” Roy asked, quirking an eyebrow, a frown on his lips but amusement in his eyes.

Lips parting, Dick’s mind ran at the speed of light, looking for words, a plausible excuse to get out of this situation because he couldn’t be honest. No one could understand what he was going through, especially when he himself didn’t get it.

“Barbara?” Wally offered, leaning forward in his chair and Dick had to do his best not to smile because he had just been presented with the perfect lie.

“Yep.” He nodded his head a little too enthusiastically but his friends didn’t seem to notice.

Sighing, Wally shook his head as he grabbed Dick’s arm, staring deep into his eyes. “Dickie, my sweet, sweet Dickie,” he said in a pitiful tone. “At some point, you and Babs were great together but she doesn’t want you now Dickie. She wants Helena so you need to move on.”

Dick was very much aware of Barbara’s relationship with Helena. In fact, if it weren’t for his meddling nature, the two of them wouldn’t have gotten together. He was happy for both of them but his friends didn’t understand that. For the students of Gotham Academy, Dick and Barbara’s relationship was perfect. They were meant to be and that’s only because no one witnessed the brutal fights and the realization that both of them had grown up to be different people.

“You know what you need?” Roy leaned forward, his voice so low that Dick had to inch towards him to hear properly.

“What?” he asked and the redhead grinned.

“You need to get laid.”

“Roy!” Wally exclaimed, looking scandalized.

“What? It’s true! That way he’ll stop thinking about Babs for a while!” Roy defended his stance.

While his two friends fought one another, debating about what was best for him, Dick tuned out the world and slowly slipped back into his thoughts, the red door under the staircase in Wayne Manor and the eerie aura surrounding it.

“Dick, you okay?” Roy asked, the mischievousness in his eyes replaced with worry.

Giving his friend a small smile, Dick nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine,” he lied even though his insides were twisting with fear.

 

 

“Richard, are you listening to me?”

An icy voice breaking into his thoughts, Dick was snapped back to reality, his gaze focusing on his untouched dinner before moving up towards his brothers. As always, with his lips turned into a frown, the oldest, Damian, glared at him while Tim just smiled knowingly before sipping on his cup of coffee.

“What has gotten into you, Richard?” Damian asked, his tone reprimanding. “Has Pennyworth taught nothing? It is rude to daydream while someone is speaking to you.”

Shrinking into his chair, with his eyes lowered, Dick could only nod as his older brother scolded him, reminding him of his position and the duties that came with being Bruce Wayne’s son. Adopted or not, he had an image to maintain. But Dick was a circus boy, born and bred in a world that the high society couldn’t even begin to imagine. Even though he had lived in the Manor since he was nine, he could never adjust to the lavish lifestyle, his every step being watched by vultures waiting to tear into him should he make a mistake.

“Now, now, Damian. Don’t be so hard on him. Dick was probably thinking about graduation. Stepping into adulthood can be scary,” Tim finally intervened.

Not convinced by Tim’s words, Damian continued to glare at Dick, his mind probably searching for any other reason for his younger brother’s less than acceptable behavior. But when he couldn’t think of anything else, Damian had no choice but to let the matter go and agree with Tim, something that he hated to do.

“I’m not feeling all that well. May I be excused?” Dick asked, turning to Damian who was eyeing his plate and the uneaten food.

Dick was worried that Damian would make him stay until he had eaten something but reluctantly, the older boy nodded. “You may go. I will ask Pennyworth to bring you some milk and I expect you to drink it. Understood?” Damian narrowed his eyes threateningly and Dick couldn’t help but smile as he skipped over to his brother and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, Dami!” He nuzzled the older’s cheek while Damian demanded that Dick let go.

After giving Tim a hug and receiving a kiss on the cheek, Dick wandered back to his room, his footsteps almost echoing through the vast expanse of the manor. With enough room to provide shelter to the village on the outskirts of Gotham City, Wayne Manor had only five people living within it and sometimes even less since Bruce and Tim were always traveling for work. Even now, Bruce had been away from home for about a week now with no news on when he’d be back.

Skipping his way through the empty halls and ominous shadows that covered each painting, Dick whistled a song that he didn’t really care for, anything to keep his mind off the darkness that followed his every step. He knew it was all in his head but sometimes he was sure that the shadows bent out of shape just to touch him. It never hurt to be careful.

Past the empty rooms and watchful gaze of each ancestor painted onto a canvas, Dick finally reached his room, coming to an abrupt stop when he noticed that the door was wide open. “Titus?” he called out, peeking into the room but there was no sign of the wandering Great Dane anywhere.

“Master Richard.” A stern voice came and Dick jumped out of his skin, turning around so quickly that he almost gave himself whiplash. Thankfully, there wasn’t anything creepy on the other side. Just Alfred with a tray in his hand, here to deliver Dick his milk before he went to bed.

“May I ask why you are standing outside your room like a scared little child?” the butler asked, his lips quirking slightly.

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Dick just laughed nervously, cheeks burning with embarrassment. “The door was open so I thought Titus was in here,” he answered and Alfred raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment, turning his gaze towards the window.

“It seems that it is going to rain. Hopefully, that does not delay Master Bruce,” Alfred said, looking at the storm clouds that were rolling in.

“Bruce is coming back tonight?” Dick asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice but Alfred noticed. He always did.

“Yes.” He nodded. “Did Master Damian not tell you?”

“It probably slipped his mind.” Dick shrugged and how could it not when Damian was always busy lecturing Dick about what he could or could not do. As much as he loved his older brother, Damian could really be a little overbearing.

Dick understood that his brothers wanted nothing but the best for him, always providing him with insight and guidance but while Tim knew when to back off, Damian did not. He didn’t approve of Dick’s friends or his girlfriends in the past, finding faults in each of them. While Dick had fought him in the past, he was too tired to try and change his older brother. Damian was over-protective and unfortunately, he always would be.

“Your milk,” Alfred said, holding out the tray and Dick stopped thinking about how annoying his brother was. There was plenty of time for that later.

Taking his drink, with a thank you and goodnight, Dick wandered into his room, closing the door behind him, reluctant to fall asleep but excited for what he’d see, what he’d feel. Maybe tonight would be a repeat of every other night or maybe, tonight, for once things would be different.

 

 

Dick had had this dream so many times.

Under Wayne Manor’s gothic structure, beyond the red door he never dared to enter, down the spiral staircase illuminated by lanterns, deeper and deeper into the Earth he’d find himself going, whether willingly or manipulated, he could never tell. Slowly the flame that lit his path would fade away, flickering and struggling to stay alive in a never-ending darkness that waited with its arms wide open and Dick would fall in head first, no wings to break his fall.

When his vision would return to him, he’d find himself inside a hidden catacomb, lying on a stone slab and stripped off anything that could possibly keep him warm. The dead watched his shivering form, silent and judging, tasting his fear and hesitation as his eyes frantically moved from skull to skull, a collection of people forgotten by the world. Heart hammering in his chest, breath hitching, Dick was well aware that there was nothing holding him down. He could run away whenever he wanted to, leave behind everything that scared him. Instead, each time he chose to stay.

Salvation always came in the form of cold fingers grazing across his skin, igniting sparks in his veins as a shadow leaned over his frame. Nails dug into his shoulder as a thumb was pressed against his lips, pressing hard enough to hurt but never enough to bleed. Through all this, Dick bit down on his tongue, trying to hold in his voice and each time _his captor? His savior?_ Would force his mouth open, wanting to hear all the sounds he tried to hide away.

“I know you’re scared.” Lips would press against his neck, small kisses leaving goosebumps in their wake. “But I’m here now.” Fingers intertwined, a little squeeze for reassurance and Dick would let his eyes flutter shut. “And I’m never letting you go.” Throat closing up, he would always feel scared of those words, scared of the implications behind them and as sharp fangs broke into his skin, the dream would end.

And when Dick’s eyes opened, he’d be back in his bed, still feeling those cold fingers on his skin.

But tonight was different.

Instead of waking up surrounded by the warmth of his bed, Dick found himself shivering against the cold wind that surged in through one of the windows that had been left open in the hall. Rainwater drenched the floor, making the wood cooler than usual. Wrapping his arms around himself, Dick stumbled forward, wondering how he got here. Had he started sleepwalking now?

Trudging towards the open window, bracing himself against the strong winds and icy raindrops, Dick finally closed it, securing the latch and sighing with relief. He was ready to go back to his room, clean up his wet feet and be lost in the warmth of his sheets. But it seemed the night had other plans as the sound of door creaking open ripped through the silence.

A chill ran down Dick’s spine, goosebumps coming to life across his skin as he slowly turned around, eyes first falling on the main door that was still closed. With his nails digging into his skin, he slowly turned towards the source of the sound, the one place in the house that he had always avoided but had always been haunted by since he was a child: the red door beneath the staircase.

There was nothing special about the red door except the fact that Dick had been dreaming of it since he was a child. When he was nine, he saw himself standing before it, fingers pushing against the painted wood to open it but nothing more. With each passing year, the dream grew longer and longer, a new chapter unraveling every time Dick closed his eyes. And now, he was standing in the place where each dream started.

All Dick had to do was open the door. With one push, all his fear, his dreams would be turned to nothing because there wasn’t a staircase or catacombs. There was just a closet with a mope and other cleaning supplies inside. There was nothing to be scared of, no demons hidden within the darkness but as shadows slipped out towards him, it took every bit Dick’s strength for him to lift his hand, fingers twitching on his side and curving to form a fist.

One push, that’s all he needed. One push and he could finally let go.

But just as his fingers brushed against the wood, the main door swung open and two figures came into sight, lightening cackling behind them.

“Dick?” Bruce called out, stepping inside as he removed his rain drenched coat. “What are you doing here?”

Unable to stop, Dick rushed forward, his heart pummelling in his chest as he threw himself into Bruce’s arms and even though his adoptive father was wet because of the rain, he didn’t let go.

“I missed you,” the young boy whispered as Bruce awkwardly held him and patted his back.

“I… uh… I missed you too,” Bruce admitted, not used to being so affectionate.

Smiling at the older man’s attempts to be comforting, Dick stepped back and then glanced behind Bruce’s shoulder, his breath caught in his throat as he came face to face with the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Tall, broad shoulders and well built, green eyes glimmered in the dark, piercing into Dick’s baby blues and grounding him to his spot.

“Di… Richard, this is Jason Todd,” Bruce introduced and Jason held out his hand, smiling gently. “He is my old friend’s son and will be staying with us for a while.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jason said, shaking Dick’s hand, his grip strong but cold.

“Hi… I’m Dick… I mean my name is Richard but everyone calls me Dick,” the younger boy stammered, kicking himself mentally for making a fool of himself but Jason didn’t seem to mind.

Instead, his smile widened as his eyes crinkled. “I hope we can be friends, Dick.”

Dick wanted to respond. He wanted to be charming and cool to make a good first impression, to not bring shame to his family’s name but as Jason spoke, Dick was sure he had heard this voice before, felt this cold touch against his warm skin. Mesmerizing green eyes pulled him in and Dick stared, every weight lifting off his shoulder, memories of a snowy day surfacing in his mind.

_“I’ll never let you go, Dick.”_

Feeling eyes on his back, still holding onto Jason’s cold hand, Dick slowly turned around. The red door was wide open, holding nothing but the darkness within its embrace and within that pitch black were a pair of red eyes, glowing, enticing, searching for something. As Dick noticed that threatening gaze, the shadows swarmed forward, wrapping around his body like a cocoon.

And everything went black.

 


	2. Angel On Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I'm standing in the ashes of who I used to be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Angel on Fire by Halsey

It always started with rain pelting down on barren lands, settling the dust that flew with the wind, filling his lungs until he was choking. Mud stuck to his polished shoes, splattering onto the ends of his dark pants. Water soaked through his heavy coat, drenching the white shirt underneath so he was chilled to the bone, shivers running down his spine, each tremor leaving goosebumps in their wake.

In a sea of black umbrellas, he stood alone in front of the empty grave, staring at the name engraved into stone, one that he had tried to erase with his bare hands, blood mixing with rainwater to drip into the ground. Fate couldn’t be changed by a common man’s cry and in the end, he waited for a casket that never came.

He took in a breath through chattering teeth, staring at his family, his father and faux brother standing like mannequins among people with blank faces. Sheltered from the pouring rain, they seemed indifferent to the loss their family was facing.

“Where is he, father? Where’s Richard?” Damian demanded, blood bubbling with uncontained rage, warming his numb body.

Not a blink, not a flicker of recognition in those hollow eyes, it seemed that his words fell on deaf ears as everyone continued to stare at the empty grave. “Father!” he screamed. “Father!” he cried but his voice was swallowed by the heavy rain that seemed to be crashing down on them.

A cold hand pressed against the vein in this throat to feel the way his heartbeat accelerated, fingers brushing into his raven hair. “Dami,” a sweet voice called, pulling his head back until his throat was exposed. “I’m here.”

Slowly, he turned around to find the one he was looking for, something close to fear settling in his heart as blood-drenched eyes bore into his. The ocean blue that he had painted onto a million canvases had faded into something cold, something inherently evil. With his skin as pale as freshly fallen snow, crimson touched lips, Richard smiled, looking up at his brother so innocently.

“I’m here,” he repeated, handing pressed against Damian’s chest. “I’m here.” He pushed gently, one touch enough to loosen the Earth’s grip of Damian’s feet, making him stumble back into the freshly dug grave.

A spell broken, his family moved, tears slipping from his father’s eyes, Tim’s expression somber as they collected mud into their hands and flung it onto Damian’s frozen body, lying in a bed of dead roses. Following everyone’s example, Dick did the same, smiling and watching as his brother was buried alive.

“Bye, bye, Dami,” he sang, his face the last thing Damian saw before everything went black.

 

Waking up with a start, gasping for air, Damian’s eyes frantically moved across the room, taking in the wooden furniture, the messy dressing table and a framed poster of the Flying Grayson’s hanging above the bed. Tucked into his silk sheets, Richard slept peacefully, his breathing even, skin tan and full of life.

Realizing that what he’d seen was just a dream, Damian rubbed the back of his neck, trying to massage a kink that had set in after falling asleep on a chair. He had promised his father that he would go to bed but as he waited for his brother to awaken, already overworked, Damian’s eyes had closed.

“Have you been here all night?” Timothy asked as he stepped into the room, eyes flickering from Damian to Richard.

Not having the strength to spell out obvious answers, Damian just shrugged, watching as Timothy pushed back Richard’s hair. “Do not disturb him,” he warned but the younger man just rolled his eyes.

“Dick’s too much of a heavy sleeper to notice,” he pointed out before moving towards Damian, worried blue eyes burying into green. “Maybe you should worry about yourself. You look like shit.”

“No one asked for your opinion, Drake,” Damian spat, trying to mask his burning cheeks with anger. The faster he drove Timothy away, the faster his heart would calm down.

Recently, his body had picked up this habit of acting strangely every time Timothy was around. His eyes would stare at the younger’s lips, the twinkle in his eyes, wanting nothing more than to touch his smooth skin. Heart beating faster than usual, every time they looked at one another, Damian could feel a strange heat in his cheeks.

He had read books after books to pinpoint the reason why his body behaved in such a way but found nothing. When he asked Pennyworth for guidance, the older man had scoffed and called Damian a learning child and he couldn’t understand why. At age 27, he was not a child. He was an adult with the ability to sustain himself.

Now, Damian could only hope this strange illness would pass.

“Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Timothy asked, lips turning into a frown as he glanced at Richard.

“Of course,” Damian answered without hesitation. “He’s been overworking himself while barely eating. Once he awakens, the situation will be rectified.” He would make sure of it. After all, Richard was his responsibility and ensuring that his brother was healthy was a job Damian took seriously.

With a sigh, Timothy nodded but he still didn’t seem convinced by Damian’s words. “The thought of graduating must really be getting to him. Poor Dickie.”

“I do not understand why he would be so worried about something so trivial.” Damian furrowed his brows and Timothy smiled, slipping into the older’s lap with a wicked grin.

Startled, feeling his cheeks turn red, Damian gaped like a fish as arms wrapped around his shoulders. “What- what do you think you’re doing?!” he demanded but Timothy just giggled.

“Shhh, we don’t want to wake up the baby,” he hummed, covering Damian’s mouth with his hand. “Now, let me explain why graduation is so important to Dick. He’s the adopted son of Bruce Wayne, a boy who came from nothing. Everyone is watching his every move and the path that Dick chooses after school directly reflects on Bruce. He’s scared he’ll make a mistake.”

Whatever anger and embarrassment Damian was feeling slipped away as Timothy spoke, his eyes flickering to his younger brother’s sleeping form. He hadn’t known that Richard was going through such a turbulent time in his life, terrified of what his future had in store for him.

“He should know that Father would never hate him for following his heart,” Damian said, voice low as he removed Timothy’s hand from his lips. “Those vultures do not matter. Only Richard’s happiness does.”

“I’m sure he knows that he is loved but that doesn’t help ease his fear. You and I, we had our future handed to us. Dick did not. At the end of the day, he could always run away to the circus and live his best life but he won’t. Bruce gave him a new life and he wants to repay him for that,” Timothy explained and Damian pressed his lips together.

“Perhaps I will speak to Father about this. He could probably help Richard figure out the best possible path for himself,” he said, heart sinking because he wanted to be the one to ease Richard’s pain.

But if the younger couldn’t trust him with his problems, the burden he carried, then why would Damian’s words help at all?

“That might help,” Timothy hummed in agreement.

“Does he… does he speak to you about these things?” Damian finally asked, wanting to see how strong the bond between the two men was.

Shaking his head, Timothy smiled sadly as he looked away from the older man. “When my parents passed away and Bruce took me in, there was a time when I was in Dick’s place so it’s not hard to figure out what he’s going through.”

There was something so painful in his voice that Damian couldn’t help but flinch, remembering the circumstances under which Timothy had been brought into the family. While his mother had passed away due to sickness, a deal gone wrong had cost his father his life, the heinous crime playing out in front of the younger’s eyes. When Timothy had first come to the manor, he had been so quiet and closed off, flinching whenever someone touched him, his eyes full of so much fear as though he was waiting for the worst to happen.

It was easy to see the kind of life he lived with the Drakes before they passed away. However, despite seeing the younger’s vulnerable state, Damian had not treated him well. In fact, he had disagreed with his father’s decision to take Timothy in. Damian was his blood son, his true heir so why would he need another child?

Back then, he realized with guilt in his heart, Timothy had been on his own.

“I’m sorry.” The words fell from his lips before he could push down his emotion and Timothy stared wide-eyed.

“Is the great Damian Wayne, the blood son, apologizing to little ol’ me?” he asked with a grin, voice teasing.

“No,” Damian answered defiantly as he pushed the younger off his lap, watching as he tumbled down with a laugh.

Before Timothy had the chance to continue the conversation, Damian fled the room, walking briskly so he wasn’t too obvious. He really had to do something about the strange feelings he had for the younger before they drove him insane.

Popping open the top buttons of his white shirt, taking a mental picture of Timothy’s laughing face, Damian pushed away all unnecessary thoughts as he planned his next move. For now, he would freshen up and get something to eat. After that, he could see if there was anything that required his immediate attention. If not, he would sleep for a little while.

Making a mental checklist, he was just about to turn the corner when he heard voices down the hall, one that belonged to his father and one that belonged to a stranger, the man named Jason Todd. It was not in Damian’s nature to stick his nose in someone else’s business but somewhere in the conversation, he heard Richard’s name, his brows furrowing. Back pressed against the wall, he listened carefully.

“How did this happen?” Father asked, his usually calm voice tinged with worry.

“I think it was my fault,” Todd answered with a sigh. “Maybe I didn’t have my compulsion in check or maybe she noticed my presence. Either way, it was not my intention to hurt Dick.”

“Not yet at least,” Father interjected and confusion sparked inside Damian.

“Not ever,” Todd clarified, anger lacing his voice. “Never insinuate that--”

Abruptly, Todd stopped talking and Damian knew that his presence had been noticed. Pushing away from the wall, attempting to look casual, he came out of hiding. “Father,” he greeted as he walked up to the two men standing before Todd’s room.

“Damian, slept well?” Father asked and it was taking everything Damian had to control his anger.

How could his father act so nonchalant when he knew Todd could hurt Richard? From the way the older man spoke, he seemed to believe this man, this stranger had come into their lives with the purpose of making the younger Wayne’s life miserable. And if Damian had heard things correctly, Todd seemed to be the reason behind Richard passing out. 

“Father, I do not think you’ve introduced me to your friend,” Damian said, eyes on Todd who was watching him warily.

“Ah, yes. Last night was a bit chaotic.” Father nodded and then turned to Todd. “Jason, this is my oldest son, Damian.”

“A pleasure,” Todd said holding out his hand, the smile on his face hollow and fake.

“Likewise,” Damian imitated his tone, making his feelings for this stranger clear.

As Todd’s cold fingers wrapping around his warm ones, Damian couldn’t help but think that he had felt this touch before, the feeling imprinted in his mind, desperately trying to uncover the reason for the fear that chilled his bones.

Pulling away, Todd excused himself and as he disappeared from sight, Damian realized that his touch was similar to the way Richard had held him in his dreams, cold and dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this fic will have multiple POVs and it will be a bit longer than usual. Tim's actions might be a little OOC here but it will be explained with time. I'm actually very excited about this fic because I just genuinely like the idea behind it. Obviously, the end result depends on how well I write but eh, I'm not going to focus on that for now. This is my first time writing something that is purely Damian centric so please don't be too hard on me uwu


	3. Wicked Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The world was on fire and no one could save me but you_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wicked Game - Raign
> 
> Claire De Lune - Debussy

Eyes closed.

Under the white sky, covered by a blanket of freshly fallen snow, he lay curled around her. Frost touched lips, limbs colored blue, innocence bled out from his fingertips, crimson painting what was once pure. A loose hand wrapped around her throat, he waited for a pulse to match his dull heartbeat but what he was looking for had faded long ago, like the light in her eyes. Now, left alone to wait for death’s loving embrace, each shallow breath sparked pain inside his chest, his body still alive enough to see his last moments through.

An eye for an eye, a life for a life, blood must pay for blood and the sins of his ancestors fell on his shoulders, a burden heavy enough to bury him into the ground. At least, at the end of the road, he would find peace, wouldn’t he?

Eyes open.

Moonlight filtered in through the open French doors, fighting a losing battle with the darkness that drenched the room, dripping from the antique furniture and splattered across the walls. If he so wished, he could end the fight, set free Mother Moon to illuminate someone else’s path and save a life from the shadows that lurked in every corner.

But after living for centuries he had learned his lesson. There was no peace. There was no safety from the darkness. It came for everyone and took what it pleased, swallowing someone whole or mutating a man into a creature never seen before. And over the years, as he watched life turn to death, he wondered which category he fell into.

Pushing himself off the bed, Jason felt a sense of excitement, an emotion he hadn’t felt since he had discovered the cure to all his problems. Gliding across the room, he hummed a song he hadn’t even thought of in centuries and stopped in front of the record player. It was such an old thing, having seen its fair share of memories but now left to collect dust as generations moved onto new innovations. Spinning the record left within its embrace, Jason closed his eyes.

With a fire to keep everyone warm, he found himself sitting before an old piano, his fingers traveling over each key as his eyes flickered over to her, dancing across the room. Raven hair tumbling down her back in beautiful waves as she moved with grace, a sight to behold.

Jason loved watching her dance because that was the only time she was truly free, like a bird soaring through the midnight sky.

Now, keeping her alive within his memories, within the darkness, he danced the way she would have, imitating her every move. His arms reached out to hold someone within his embrace but it had been centuries since she had disappeared and since then, Jason had danced to every song alone. But the pain no longer bothered him anymore. After all, he knew this wouldn’t be forever.

A knock on his door and Jason was jolted back into a reality, a wide grin spreading across his face as he went to answer. There, on the other side dressed in just a long white dress shirt that ended at his knees, stood Dick, eyes closed, lost within his own dreams.

It was Jason’s song that had brought Dick to him. It was their bond that would bring them back to each other over and over again.

One hand wrapped around his waist, Jason pulled his sleeping beauty into the room and slowly, they danced under the moonlight. It had been so long since he had been around another, held someone so close that he could feel their heat against his cold skin. With every human, there was always the fear that one day, they would leave but Dick was different. Dick was his.

“The first time I played this song, you had loved it so much that you demanded I play it every time I snuck you into my house,” Jason hummed happily, letting his lips trail against Dick’s skin. “But you could never remember the name, could you? Do you remember it now?”

Dick never answered though, his body pliant in Jason’s arms as his conscious wandered to another place.

“Say the name for me, Dickie,” Jason ordered and the younger man’s body stiffened, lips parting to form the words his master wished to hear.

“Clair De Lune,” he said on command, his pronunciation perfect.

Pleased by the younger’s obedience, Jason placed a gentle kiss upon his lips, knowing well that when tomorrow came, Dick wouldn’t remember a thing.

Spin after spin, they moved across the room as the song they loved so much came to an end and the time for them to part arrived. Reluctantly, Jason gave Dick a kiss goodbye but when that wasn’t enough, he gave another and then one more, wanting the taste of his beloved to linger on his lips. His thumb brushed against the younger’s throat, pressing against his vein and feeling his pulse vibrate under his skin.

“It’s time for you to go now,” Jason said, leading Dick to the door, letting his heartbeat echo through his body. “Goodbye, Dickie.”

The younger man walked away, strolling down the hall and back to his own room to awaken tomorrow without a single memory of his time spent reliving something he had lost so long ago. And as he disappeared from sight, Jason could simply watch even though he wanted to bring Dick back into his arms. His only consolation was that they would be reunited soon, a blank slate for them to start on. They would have to build their relationship from scratch but that was alright.

Suitors could come and suitors could go but Dick would always be his little doll dancing on broken strings, dancing only for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a short chapter but I kind of wanted to use it to introduce Jason and show things from his perspective. He has kind of a creepy thing going on eue.  
> Now, this was something I forgot to mention before (because I'm forgetful like that) but if you'll look at the summary of each chapter, you'll see a lyric there. Usually, I listen to music while writing and each chapter is named after the song I'm listening to. Of course, I don't expect people to listen to every song recommended which is why for this fic I decided to add a lyric that will reflect how each character's story will end. It's just a little something to think about. Though knowing me, I'm going to make everything painfully obvious but eh, I tried.


	4. Afterlife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I just wanna be loved_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Afterlife by Xylo

_June 15 th, 2018_

_Sometimes I wonder, hiding in the dark to uncover the truth, what would my father say to me if he saw me? Would he be proud of the choices that I have made or would he call me a fool for sticking my nose where it didn’t belong? He always said my curiosity would be my downfall, after all, curiosity killed the cat. But father always forgot a very important part of that saying. Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back. The waters I have chosen to step into our dangerous ones but if knowledge is empowerment, maybe, somehow, I can find a way to save the ones I love._

_If people from my past saw me now, they would be shocked. I’ve never been one to believe in ghosts and demons, fairy tales and monsters hidden within closets. But with every clue I uncover, the truth has become undeniable and now that I’ve seen him with my own two eyes, how can I turn away from reality?_

_He arrived with the storm, an extension of Bruce’s shadow and while his very presence had been intimidating, there was something strange, almost humorous about seeing him step out of a black car instead of a carriage. In this day and age, among the people of this generation, his clothes, his mannerism, everything just feels so out of place. He’s not one of us and he does nothing to hide him but maybe that’s the appeal. Be different, be one of a kind and have everyone eating out of the palm of your hand. Bruce and Alfred were his slaves before he even walked through the Manor doors. Dick would soon be in his clutches as well. The only one who remains is Damian._

_But can Damian be trusted with the truth? Can he put aside everything he knows to believe in the supernatural for just a split second? It is impossible. Unless he shows his true form to Damian, the older man will never believe that there is such a thing as a monster. Maybe, behind the red door that no one dares to walk through are answers that could help convince him. But I can’t know that. It doesn’t seem like a risk worth taking. In the end, I have to do this on my own._

Placing his pen to the side, Tim glanced at the clock before shutting his journal. This much would be enough for now. If luck as on his side, he would be able to make updates once he got back home.

Tim had never been one to write journals. It seemed like a waste of time and a massive invasion of privacy if anyone to read what he had written. His thoughts were his own and he didn’t need to jot them down on a piece of paper to remember. But, coming to Wayne Manor had changed that.

Even as a child Tim had known that there was something so strange about this place. Time seemed to stand still around the Manor, holding its residents back in an era that had passed long ago. During parties, he chose to stick to his parents, avoiding the darkness that seemed to follow his every move. But living in the Manor had changed that. There was no running or hiding. All Tim could do was stare back at the shadows and wait for them to reveal their secrets.

Now Tim wrote every day, jotting down everything he knew, everything he felt into a journal because one day, someone would find his words. One day, someone would believe him. Whether that time was today or tomorrow, he couldn’t be sure. All he did know was that eventually, it would happen.

Grabbing his laptop and glancing back at his journal that lay on his desk, Tim left his room, locking the door behind him. Hurrying down the hall, he made his way to the dining room just as the bell rang. While he was the first one to arrive, the others weren’t far behind.

Like Tim, Bruce and Damian were dressed for work, taking their designated spots on the table while Dick was still in his night clothes, stumbling around half asleep. “No school today, baby bird?” Tim asked his younger brother as he grabbed his arm and guided him to see his seat.

Leaning into Tim’s embrace with a sigh, Dick shook his head, lips turning into a pout as his half-opened eyes moved to Damian. “He won’t let me go,” the younger whined.

“You can go to school once you have recovered,” Damian said, eyes on his breakfast.

“I’m fine!” Dick argued but Damian didn’t look like he was going to budge.

“Dick, your brother is right. A day off won’t hurt,” Bruce intervened, looking tired because of his sons constantly fighting.

Sinking into his chair, Dick stared down at his hands, quite but unconvinced. Tim knew why the younger so desperately wanted to go to school and a part of him felt bad. If Tim could he would hold his brother tight and assure him that he had nothing to prove to any of them. The only thing any of them wanted was for Dick to be happy.  But that was a conversation he would leave for Bruce because he was the only person the younger would listen to.

Everyone ate their breakfast in silence. Bruce read the newspaper while sipping on his coffee, Damian occasionally glanced at Dick who was pushing around his food and barely eating while Tim, he observed everyone. Through all of this, there was one person missing and as goosebumps came to life on Tim’s skin, shivers running down his spine, Jason walked through the door.

“Good morning, everyone,” he greeted as he sat down next to Dick. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“That’s alright, Jason. You’ve had a tiring few days,” Bruce said and Jason gave the older man a smile.

Picking up his mug of coffee, Tim watched as Dick’s eyes repeatedly flickered to Jason, admiring his face and looking away before he was caught staring by the older. But, with the way Jason’s lips twitched, it was obvious that he knew. In every sense, Dick was still so naïve and innocent which is probably why everyone in the house was so protective of him.

“I don’t mean to sound rude but now that I think about it, I’ve never heard of a family named Todd,” Tim suddenly said, watching as Jason’s body stiffened under his gaze, anger sparking in those green eyes that were trying their best to be gentle. “I’ve heard of the Waynes, the Drakes, and even the Al-Ghuls but never the Todds.”

“Master Timothy!” Alfred exclaimed, the older man’s tone warning him to stop and even though he knew he would be in trouble later, Tim pushed on. This was the time to drop hints that someone else could pick up.

“Though, I have heard of the Cain family.” Tim sipped his coffee, watching with amusement as Jason stared with shock. “I met David Cain a few times when my father was still alive. He was quite the paranoid man.”

Silence fell over the table as everyone stared at Jason, waiting for him to respond, to say something or walk away in anger. After all, there wasn’t a living soul in Gotham that didn’t know about David Cain and the kind of man he was. Generations to come would remember the horrific crimes he had committed, waiting for the day he would break out of the jail cell he had been rotting in the way he promised he would.

“Yes, well, considering everything my uncle has done, it was easier to go by my mother’s maiden name rather than live under his shadow forever,” Jason bit out, plastering a smile on his face as cold eyes bored into Tim. Then, pushing away from the table, the older man gave everyone a nod before rushing out of the room, the sound of his footsteps echoing.

“What in the world was that about, Timmy?” Dick asked, staring at his brother with confusion.

Tim had never been one to poke at someone’s old wounds, to blame them for actions they couldn’t control. Children could not be held accountable for their parents' crimes but today, he had dug out Jason’s secret and put it on display for everyone to see. It wasn’t his best decision but from the calculative look in Damian’s eyes, he knew he had done what he needed to do.

“We will speak about this later,” Bruce said, anger in his blue eyes as he stormed out of the dining room, probably to follow Jason and as the older man disappeared from sight, Tim got up as well.

“I have a meeting,” he announced, grabbing his briefcase and jacket.

“Tim!” Dick called out, wanting answers for his brother’s behavior and even though Tim wanted to sit down and explain everything, he couldn’t.

Biting his tongue, Tim walked away, moving towards the front door until he knew he was out of sight. When he was sure that no one could see him, he followed the sound of whispers coming from the library, pressing his body against the wall and holding his breath to lower his heart beat.

“I don’t care why he did it,” Jason hissed, anger dripping from his voice. “Your son could have ruined my plans by saying too much. Me being a Cain was supposed to be a secret until the end. The slightest of slip-ups can ruin everything I have worked so hard for all these centuries.”

“I understand and I am very sorry for Timothy. It isn’t like him to behave this way,” Bruce said, his voice low and controlled but if Tim didn’t know any better, the older man seemed a bit scared.

“Let me make this very clear to you Bruce. I have spent years trying to find a way to break the curse and I will happily kill anyone who dares to stand in my way even if that person was Dick himself.”

Having heard all that he needed to know, Tim slipped away from the library and headed towards the front door, keeping his face calm. Since the day Jason had arrived at the manor, they had all become pawns in the game that he was playing. Who they were up against, what were the odds, Tim had no idea. There were too many blanks that had yet to be filled. The only thing he did know was that every single person living in the manor was in danger, not just from their opponent but from their own king.  

   
  


Damian could not get Timothy’s words out his mind.

Since the incident during breakfast, the younger man’s words had been circling his mind. There was a reason why Drake’s actions had shocked everyone. While they could expect Damian to expose someone’s secrets with no remorse, anything to keep his family safe, Drake was not such a person. After everything he had been through because of his family and the choices his elders had made, no one understood another’s pain and misery the way he did. He could be cold and calculating but never downright cruel.

There had to be a reason, something important that everyone was missing.

Even though Damian wanted to know the truth, clear his mind of all questions, he had a feeling that Drake would not give him the answers he wanted. At least, not easily. This left Damian with only one choice which is why he was now in Drake’s room after picking the lock. He hoped that the younger man wouldn’t notice the intrusion. Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to stick around for long because what he needed was right before his eyes.

Grabbing Drake’s journal, the older canceled all his meetings with the excuse of being sick. There were secrets to uncover and Damian wouldn’t leave until he knew everything.


	5. Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You're my stranger in the dark_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Stranger by Tove Lo

Burrowing further into his sheets, a gasp escaped Dick’s lips as fire thrummed through his veins, skin so sensitive to each touch that he was sure he would lose his mind before the night was over. Cold hands, cold lips, a cold tongue licking into his mouth, sucking and tasting until Dick was pushing against the body that covered his, desperate for some kind of friction as he rut against the thick thigh between his open legs.

Moans ringing out in the room, the lips that once swallowed his voice moved across his neck, leaving marks in their wake, a different kind of pleasure shooting through Dick with each bite. His eyes fluttered open, fingers grasping thick raven locks, forcing his partner to look at him, green meeting blue. “More,” he whispered with a voice so hoarse that he could barely recognize it.

Smiling widely, Jason leaned in to kiss Dick again, deep and long. “I’ll give you the moon, the stars, anything you could ever want,” he said, fingers wrapping around the younger’s cock and ripping out a moan with each slow stroke. Fingers fisting into the white sheets, Dick thrust into Jason’s loose hold, eyes screwed shut and brows pinched together as he felt himself go higher and higher, searching for release.

“Come for me, Dickie,” Jason ordered, voice sensual and low.

And Dick woke up just as he came, white spilling across his stomach as his own hand worked him through his sudden orgasm.

  
Breathing hard, Dick stared at the ceiling wide-eyed, feeling the come as it dried on his skin. A part of him wanted to pretend that nothing had happened while another part wanted to relive the dream again, feel Jason’s fingers as they held him down and gave him everything he wanted. Curling up in his bed, Dick licked his lips, hoping to find Jason on them but tasting only himself.

Sex wasn’t a new thing for Dick. In his year-long relationship with Barbara, they had been intimate multiple times, from giving oral to going all the way, together they had explored every possibility. He had loved his time with Barbara but something was always missing. Her fingers weren’t rough as they traced across his skin, her hold too gentle. She never held him down hard enough to leave bruises, pushing his face into the mattress and using him to her heart’s desire. Sex with Babs was good but it was never enough.

People could very rarely understand his desire to be dominated so Dick kept his fantasies to himself, burying them so deep that no one would suspect a thing. But here he was, dreaming of a man that he barely knew, coming to the sound of his voice, an orgasm unlike anything he’d ever felt.

God, what was wrong with him?

Pushing himself out of bed, Dick pulled off the dirty sheets and used them to clean himself up. It would be awkward to fetch a new pair of sheets but that was better than letting Alfred make the changes. Even if he didn’t say a word, the butler would know what Dick had done and just the very idea was enough to make the younger want to disappear. Dick wasn’t a thirteen year old who had just hit puberty and he needed to stop behaving like one.

Stripping out of his clothes, Dick stepped into the shower, shivers running down his spine as cold water rained down on him. This was supposed to help him calm down, to get those dirty thoughts out his mind but as his fingers ran over his skin, he could almost feel Jason’s touch, the weight of his body. Shuddering and forcing his eyes to open, Dick diverted his mind, thinking of mundane things like school and his friends, anything to forget the way Jason smiled as he stared down at him.

It wasn’t like Dick to be enamored with someone so easily. Before he started dating Barbara, there were many people who wanted him, boys and girls alike. He flirted back and entertained those who thought they had a chance but there was no one who really caught his eye. There was always one thing or another that put him off. Maybe he was too picky or maybe he was looking for something that no could give him, Dick didn’t know. All he knew was that he had better things to do than to wait around for someone to sweep him off his feet.

Being the adopted son of Bruce Wayne was never easy, especially when he didn’t come from a wealthy background. Dick was a circus boy thrust into a world where he barely fit. He needed to make his father and brothers proud which meant investing his free time in his education and extra-curricular activities. Back then, he had assumed that if he kept working hard, everything would fall into place on its own. But now, he realized that he only had short term goals. With every passing day, graduation came closer and once school was over, Dick had to decide what he wanted to do next. He could always be like his brothers, study business and join his father’s company. But the idea of doing a nine to five job, sitting behind a computer and staring at a screen all day wasn’t something Dick could see himself doing.

It was the ideal choice but it wasn’t for him.

With so much going on his life, he really didn’t have time to waste on hot strangers. Anyway, Jason was older than him, probably somewhere in his mid-twenties. Why would he ever be interested in Dick?

Stepping out of the shower with just a towel wrapped around his waist, Dick had just turned to his closet to pull out a new set of clothes when there was a knock on his door. Thinking that it was one of his brothers or Alfred checking up on him, he went to answer only to find Jason on the other side, staring at him wide-eyed and baffled by the sight in front of him. His eyes swept over Dick and he seemed to visibly swallow.

“Um… I was hoping you could show me around the manor. I would ask Alfred but he seems to be busy,” Jason quickly explained himself as he stepped away from the door.

Ignoring the way his heart beat out of control, Dick pushed back his wet hair and nodded. “Give me like ten minutes to get ready,” he said and the older man just looked away.

Quickly closing the door, Dick let out a low groan because this was the second time he was speaking to Jason and he had somehow, once again, embarrassed himself. Just that this time, he couldn’t run away or pass out. Instead, he had to go out and entertain the older, try and look him in the eyes without bursting into flames. How did he manage to get himself into these situations?

Pulling on a shirt and track pants, Dick looked himself over in a mirror, pushing his wet hair back and hoping it would stay that way. The idea of putting an effort to make himself presentable was a dumb one but he couldn’t help himself, tugging on his shirt and playing with his hair as he opened the door to greet Jason.

“Ready?” he asked and the older tilted his head, amused. “What?” Dick felt conscious under his gaze.

“Your hair is wet,” Jason said, draping an arm over Dick’s shoulder and steering him back into his room. “You’ll catch a cold if you don’t dry it properly.”

“I-it’s okay! Really!” Dick exclaimed but the older man wasn’t listening to him.

After pushing the younger towards his bed, motioning for him to take a seat, Jason went to get a towel while Dick twiddled his thumbs. Occasionally he glanced at the bathroom door, chewing on his lower lip as his mind reminded him of his obscene dream, of all the things they had done in this very room. The memory of each kiss, each touch made his skin tingle and it took all of his strength to think of something else.

Eyes flickering over to Jason as he stepped out of the bathroom, Dick waited for the older man to hand him the towel but he didn’t. Instead, he started drying Dick’s hair for him. “I’m not a kid, you know,” the younger pointed out, lips turning into a point but Jason just chuckled.

Placing a finger under Dick’s chin, he tilted his head up. “I know, Dickie,” he said, smiling playfully. “I just like it better when someone does it for me, don’t you?”

With Jason’s finger massaging his head, unable to stop himself for sighing, Dick couldn’t help but agree. He felt relaxed, stressful thoughts leaving him behind. But there was a voice in his head that whispered things he didn’t want to think about. He didn’t want to wonder if Jason had someone special to do this for him.

Once he was done, instead of pulling back, Jason draped the towel over Dick’s head like a scarf, cupping the younger’s face. “There. All done.” He smiled, staring into baby blue eyes. A part of Dick really wanted the older to lean in and kiss him just the way he had in his dreams.

“Dick?” the older man called out and the younger snapped out of his daze, his cheeks flushed as he realized he had been caught staring at Jason’s lips.

“We… uh… we should start that tour!” Dick exclaimed, standing up abruptly and heading to the door, feeling Jason’s confused gaze on his back.

Thankfully, the older man chose not to comment on his strange behavior. If he had, Dick wouldn’t know what to say. He had already embarrassed himself for the third time now. Honestly, could he have a conversation with Jason without wanting the ground to split open and swallow him whole?

Silently, they moved down the hall, only speaking when they passed a room. From Bruce’s study to the library, Dick showed Jason every inch of the house but he avoided going near the red door because he himself didn’t know what lay beyond it. The last thing he needed was to freak out in front of Jason. There was nothing to fear, not a single thing to be afraid of but Dick couldn’t help it. Every time he came across the red door, all he wanted to do was run away.

“And that’s about it,” Dick finished his tour in the living room, a part of him miffed because he knew he would have to part ways with Jason here.

After the boring tour and Dick’s refusal to look Jason in the eyes, there was no way that the older man wanted to spend any more time with him. But as he waited for the inevitable goodbye to come, Jason grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the main door.

“What do you say we go for a walk?” he asked, smiling gently. “Keep this old man company for a little while longer?”

A surprised laugh escaped Dick’s lips as he allowed himself to be dragged outside. “You’re not that old,” he said, making sure to close the door behind him.

Jason wiggled his eyebrows. “Maybe I just have an amazing skin care routine.”

“Well, then you’ll have to share your secrets with me.” The younger grinned.

Stepping into the gardens, Dick looked up at the night sky, the moon and the stars piercing through the darkness, their light illuminating Jason’s pale skin, his lush green eyes almost glowing. He was beyond beautiful, unearthly and maybe that’s why Dick was so infatuated with him. In his lifetime, he had never met anyone like the older man. He probably never would.

Clearing his throat, fingers clenched into fists, Dick said something he had wanted to since the incident during breakfast. “About Tim,” he started, feeling Jason’s eyes on him. “I wanted to apologize for him. It wasn’t his place to say the things he did. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing for him?” Jason asked tilting his head, face expressionless.

“He’s my brother and his words hurt you,” Dick answered, knowing that it wasn’t much of an explanation but this was all he could offer.

For a while, Jason continued to stare at Dick and then nodded, averting his gaze. “I know what my uncle did was unforgivable. Honestly, if I was in Tim’s place, even I wouldn’t want someone related to David Cain around my family.”

“But you’re not your uncle and what he did was not your fault,” Dick said, his fingers twitching because he wanted to hold Jason’s hand, he wanted to comfort him but it wasn’t his place to touch the older as he pleased.

As if Jason could tell what was going through his head, the older reached out and intertwined his fingers with Dick’s, squeezing his hand assuringly. “You’re a good person, Dick.” He smiled, face relaxing.

Cheeks tinted pink, Dick stared at the ground, feeling his heartbeat pick up speed. Even though he had only known Jason for a very short while, this is how he always wanted to see the older, relaxed and happy. There was no doubt that he had been through hell because of his background and considering his own past, Dick couldn’t help but find himself in the older’s sad eyes. He knew what it was like to be constantly judged and punished for someone else’s actions. If he could contribute even slightly to Jason’s happiness, he would.

“What are you thinking about?” Jason asked, his voice cutting into the younger’s thoughts.

“I was thinking about…” Dick started, thinking of a lie but his lips only wanted to speak the truth. “You.”

Eyes widening for a second, Jason stepped forward, closing the distance between him and Dick. “That’s funny,” he said, raising the younger’s hand and kissing his knuckles. “Because I was thinking about you.”

_Oh god, oh god, oh god._

Heart hammering in his chest, those little fantasies Dick had tucked away since he had met Jason peeked out from their hiding place, butterflies fluttering in his stomach as the older man held his gaze. He had to be joking. Jason had to be joking because there was no way someone like him could be interested in someone like Dick. But instead of thinking rationally, all Dick wanted to do was sink into Jason’s arms.

Dick wanted to close the space between them, bodies pressed together as they kissed for the first time. Even though it was such a simple thing, he was convinced that their first kiss would be magical.

Feeling eyes on him, his gaze flickered to the tree behind Jason, ruining what was supposed to be a beautiful moment. Pressed against the trunk stood a figure, watching Dick intently. Every single shadow danced across the garden, stretching towards the figure to hide them from the world. Drenched from head to toe in an inky black, staring at Dick, the figure raised their hand to wave and the younger lurched back, only for the unwelcome presence to disappear in the blink of an eye.

“Dick, are you okay?” Jason asked, eyes worried as the younger searched for the figure.

“I… I thought I saw something,” he answered, rubbing his eyes in frustration. “Guess I was wrong.”

“You’re probably just tired,” Jason assured, placing a soothing hand on Dick’s shoulder. “Let’s go inside, okay?”

Nodding, Dick let the older man guide him back inside, occasionally glancing back but finding nothing out of the ordinary. He was sure that he had seen something in the garden. He was sure he had been privy to something most humans never were. But as he stepped into the manor, Dick tried to erase the moment from his memory. The supernatural wasn’t real and he wouldn’t drive himself insane by being afraid of something that didn’t exist.

“Are you going to be alright?” Jason asked, walking Dick to his room and the younger nodded, still distracted.

Once at his door, still thinking about the figure in the garden, Dick whispered a weak goodnight. But, before he could disappear into his room, Jason grabbed his arm and turned him around. Cupping Dick’s face, he placed a chaste kiss on the younger’s forehead. “Something better to think about,” he whispered with a smile as he pulled back. “Goodnight, Dickie.”

With that, Jason walked away, leaving a stunned Dick to touch the place where he had been kissed, blushing furiously.

It definitely was something better to think about.

 

 

Arms crossed, Damian leaned against the window pane, his blood bubbling with anger.

When he had broken into Drake’s room to read his journal, wanting to uncover the secrets that the younger man kept hidden, the last thing he expected to see was Richard in the garden with Todd. While he didn’t know what the two were talking about, they gazed at each other as though they were in love, the emotion in their eyes so strong that it made Damian furious. After all, now he knew that Todd was up to no good.

Even if his father and Pennyworth were wrapped around Todd’s fingers, Damian would keep Richard safe. He would not sit back and watch as this stranger attempted to ruin the one good thing in everyone’s lives. And maybe, to save Richard’s life, Damian would have to take some extreme measure. But that was alright.

He would shed light on every single secret Todd tried to hide and show the world that he was nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Placing Drake’s journal back where he found it, Damian headed back to his room, mind reeling with a plan. If he wanted to expose Todd, the first thing he needed to do was find out everything about the man and there was only one way to get the answers he needed.

It was time for Damian to meet David Cain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it is I, back from the world of procrastination. Honestly, while writing this fic, the hardest thing is trying to give out information without making the chapters unbelievably boring and obviously, there has to be a hint of creepiness otherwise, what's the point? I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Escalations to come next time.


	6. Bad Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I hear it calling, down in my soul,_  
>  Gripping my bones,  
> It won't let go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Bad Dream by Ruelle

A day, a month, a year, a century, with every dying generation, Jason had watched the world change from his altar. He had watched as the world forgot about the gods they once worshipped, the vermin who once kissed his feet buried underground, their flesh rotting in the confines of wooden caskets. Turned into a myth, a monster to scare little children, he found it easier to shut himself away, relive days when everything he loved was still in his arms. After all, memories were all he had to keep himself going.

He had been on his own for so long. Wandering in an empty house, he noticed the passage of time through the changes in season and even though his heart longed to visit the swimming hole where he kissed his beloved for the first time or taste the snowflakes on his tongue just the way she did, he found it easier to stay wrapped up in the shadows, to pretend that nothing had changed. As long as his eyes were closed, nothing could hurt him. Unfortunately, the very people he never wanted to see had awakened him from his slumber, forcing him back into the world that he had been running away from.

And maybe he had been furious at first, lashing out at anyway who dared to come close. Maybe he was sure that nothing could be worth facing reality but he could admit that he had been wrong. Dick was with him, in his dreams, in his arms, his scent lingering from the moment Jason closed his eyes to the moment the sun rose into the sky.

Yes, he wanted more than just to hold Dick’s hand. He wanted more than to stand by his side but Jason was ready to wait. Fortunately, it seemed that he wouldn’t have to wait for long because Dick wanted him and tonight, under the moon’s serene light, they would have kissed, taking a step towards everything Jason had ever wanted.

But the very people who had driven him out of his sanctuary had ruined his chances to make Dick his sooner rather than later.

With the residents of the manor asleep, welcoming the call of their dreams, Jason stepped into the balcony and jumped, air collecting around his body so he could float. Deathly calm, he retraced his steps until he reached the tree where the spy had done a poor job of hiding.

“You can come out now,” he said, eyes watching the shadows as they twisted, shooting upwards and writhing as pale fingers tore them apart. Waves of blonde hair fell over a pale face, crimson eyes glimmered in the dark as blood touched lips stretched into a sheepish smile.

“I didn’t mean to ruin your moment,” Stephanie said apologetically.

“Did you just feed?” Jason asked, eyes narrowing into a glare because as far as he knew the Blonde, she had trouble cleaning up after herself.

Running her tongue over her lips, Stephanie grinned. “You know I can’t control myself around O negatives. But don’t worry, I didn’t leave behind any traces of my presence.”

Taking a threatening step towards the younger, Jason watched as the amusement slipped from Stephanie’s eyes, the red dulling to give way to blue. “I should tear out your heart and leave you to die for what you did today. You could have ruined everything!” he growled, nails digging into his palm to push down the anger that demanded he hurt someone, preferably the girl standing before him.

But Stephanie was used to Jason’s anger, his separation from his mate bringing out his worst traits. Instead of being intimidated, she fought his fire with her own. “The only one who can ruin things is you. Instead of saving her, you’re courting a pathetic human and stealing kisses in the dark. Maybe I should rip his heart out and put an end to this mess,” she threatened.

Snarling, Jason slammed his hand against the tree trunk, its structure cracking because of his strength but Stephanie didn’t flinch. She just stared at him, impassive to his outburst. “Hurts doesn’t it? When someone threatens to take away the one you love?” she asked, her eyes meeting Jason’s, pooling with sadness. “You can feel her presence around you, day and night while I can only watch from afar.” She took in a shaky breath, lower lip trembling. “I want to be near her too. I miss her.”

“Oh, Steph.” Jason gathered the younger into his arms, anger disappearing from his veins because he could understand her pain. The two of them, despite the circumstances of their partnership, were in this together. Both of them wanted the same thing. They wanted the ones they loved to come home, for their family to be whole once again.

“You know it’s only a matter of time before she comes home. All of this will be over soon,” he whispered, stroking the Blonde’s hair as she shivered in his arms, face buried in the crook of his neck.

Pulling back, eyes wet from the tears that she had been unable to hold back, Stephanie nodded. “I know, okay? Just… just let me stay. I promise to be more careful so just… let me be around her,” she begged, voice earnest.

Jason should have said no. He should have sent her back home but he couldn’t. Not when he had been in Stephanie’s shoes, felt every bit of pain that she had. “Alright.” He gave in with a sigh. “But you have to remain hidden.”

“I will! Thank you, Jay. I swear I won’t let you down!” Stephanie smiled brightly as she hugged Jason tight. Then with a kiss to his cheek, she melted into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

Jason knew that she was around here, somewhere, watching the manor carefully but instead of being worried, he decided to trust Stephanie. Anyway, he had other things to take care of, one of them being Dick’s older brother Damian. His overprotective nature made him an unnecessary hindrance but that was alright.

Damian was human and Jason knew just what to do to get rid of him.

 

 

With his head on the desk, eyes staring out the window, all Dick could think about was Jason. From the way he spoke to the way he smiled and the way those green eyes followed Dick’s every move, the older was the last person he thought about before he slept and the first one to come to mind when he woke up. This was supposed to be a dumb crush but now all Dick could think about was Jason and the fact that they had almost kissed. If he hadn’t been distracted, he could have tasted the older man on his lips. He could have had something more than just his dreams to satisfy his fantasies.

Oh god, they had almost kissed.

They had almost kissed and Dick had ruined it all.

“Damn, Dickie, why do I always find you moping?” Roy asked, leaning down to block Dick’s view of the clear sky.

“Oh, fuck you, Harper,” Dick growled, turning away from his friend.

“I know you haven’t gotten laid in a while but propositioning me won’t get you anywhere. This big cock is for Jade and Jade alone.” Roy grinned as he plopped down on a chair.

“Ewww. You’re so gross.” Dick wrinkled his nose in disgust but the redhead just laughed.

Then, leaning forward, he poked Dick’s cheek until the former acrobat looked at him. “So, you’re turning eighteen in a few hours. How do you feel?” he asked.

“It doesn’t feel any different.” Dick shrugged. How could he worry about turning eighteen when all he could think about was Jason? His mind had been so occupied with thoughts of the older than he didn’t even remember that his birthday was coming by in a few hours.

Unimpressed by Dick’s answer, Roy rolled his eyes and then hollered for Wally, startling the rest of their classmates. “I was right! Dickie’s going to be alone for his birthday again,” he informed the redhead.

“What? How did you---”

“Let me guess,” Roy hummed, cutting Dick off. “Bruce is going on an important business trip and if he’s going then big brother Timmy is definitely going with him because the old man cannot fight off those greedy associates on his own. Mr. Overprotective Wayne had to suddenly leave home but he didn’t really tell anyone why so that leaves you all alone in the manor when the clock strikes 12. Although you will have the plethora of animals your brothers brought home and Alfred with you but it doesn’t really sound fun.”

“What the fuck, Roy?” was all Dick could say as his best friend grinned victoriously.

“I can see the future, baby.”

Wally rolled his eyes at that. “Or he just found out about Bruce’s meeting from Oliver and then called Alfred to confirm everyone’s plans.”

“Hey!” Roy complained but Wally ignored him.

“Anyway, we kind of arranged a party for you at Roy’s place since Oliver will be out of town as well.” The redhead smiled.

Dick shook his head. “Guys, you know I’m not a party person.”

“Yeah, yeah but you’re turning eighteen! Live a little, Dickie,” Roy urged but Dick was still unsure.

It wasn’t that he hated parties or anything. Since he was young, he had never been allowed to go to one. Damian being the overprotective brother didn’t trust Wally and Roy to keep Dick safe and found it easier to keep the youngest home.

“Come on, Wonder Boy.” Wally nudged. “We even invited that dude Bruce brought home so you wouldn’t get into trouble for leaving a guest unattended.”

“Jason?” Dick asked, ears perking up and his friend nodded.

“He said, and these are entirely his words, he wouldn’t miss your birthday celebration for the world.

Suppressing the smile that was fighting to spread across his face, Dick nodded. He couldn’t let his friends know that he was crushing on Jason. They would never let him live it down. “Alright fine,” he sighed dramatically. “I guess I’ll have to come since you’ve left me no choice.”

“Yeah whatever you say, Scaly Panties.”

“Hey!”

   
  


Damian regretted his decision to leave home.

After going through Drake’s journal, learning all the secrets that the younger had uncovered, forgetting everything in his silent rage, Damian had one objective: Find out everything he possibly could about Jason Todd. As long as that man lived within the manor, he would be a danger to Richard and the rest of the family. Damian could not allow that. Having no other plans but one, he had lied to his father, telling him he had a business meeting when in reality, he was simply traveling out of town to visit David Cain, the man imprisoned in Blackgate Penitentiary for his crimes.

It was only after he had checked into his hotel room that Damian realized he had left Richard alone on his birthday. But now, he couldn’t go back, not when he had come so far. Tomorrow, he would take a ferry to Blackgate and hopefully, David Cain would make his trip worth it by telling him everything he needed to know.

With his fingers laced together and time to waste, all Damian could do was stare at the clock, watching the hands as seconds passed by. If he could, he would have gone to Blackgate the moment he arrived but the sun had begun to set and there would be no ferries willing to take him to the island. Even if he managed to bribe someone, he would waste a night standing in the cold, waiting for the doors to open. After all, special permission was required to visit the criminals, one that he had gotten only because of his status.

A sudden knock on the door snapped Damian out of his thoughts and he glanced at the door suspiciously. He hadn’t called for room service so who could this possibly be?

Carefully, Damian went to open the door, feeling baffled as he found Timothy standing on the other side, casually scrolling through his phone. “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to let me in?” the younger man asked, finally looking up.

“What… what are you doing here?” Damian asked as Drake pushed past him.

“Did you really think that I didn’t know you broke into my room? I left you those clues on purpose.” Drake raised his eyebrows and then fell on the bed, his body curling into a small ball.

“I just…” Damian started but he had no words, his mind still reeling from this new information.

“You just assumed that you’re the only smart one in the house as usual.” Drake rolled his eyes before grabbing the front of Damian’s shirt and pulling him onto the bed. “It’s late and we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow so nap time.”

If Damian was a cartoon, he was sure that there would be steam coming out of his ears, his brain short-circuiting at the idea of sharing a bed with Drake. He opened his mouth to complain but the younger man had already fallen asleep, snoring softly as he huddled closer to Damian.

And even though his conversation with Cain was supposed to be the only thing on his mind, with his arm thrown over Drake’s body protectively, the younger’s scent lingering in the air around him, Damian could only wonder how he was supposed to fall asleep in such a situation?

 

  
Dick pushed past the throng of people in Roy’s house, sweaty bodies moving together in the darkness as music blasted from the speakers. He had a basic idea of how parties worked from all the movies he had seen but now, here in the real thing, he felt so unprepared. There were too many people around, some that he was sure he had never seen before in his life. The scent of sweat and cheap perfume laced the air and everything around him was so loud that Dick could barely hear his own thoughts.

Stumbling towards the bar, he took in a deep breath, feeling out of place. Here and there, he would see glimpses of his classmates and his friends but before he could reach out for any of them, they would disappear into the crowd, leaving Dick to wonder on his own. There had been a few people that had tried to start up a conversation with him, offering to buy him a drink or be his partner for a dance but under their gaze, Dick felt uncomfortable, his skin crawling every time their hands brushed against him. While he humored their advances, the only thought in his mind was getting away.

Finally, by himself, all Dick could do was sigh and hope that a familiar face would come around. He was thirsty and kind of hungry but even with the many drinks being passed around, Dick didn’t dare to take a single sip. After all, he had never had alcohol in his life and the last thing he wanted was for something stupid to happen.

“Hey,” a familiar voice whispered into his ear.

Feeling a blush creep onto his face, Dick turned around to find Jason standing behind him. Dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white shirt that accentuated his muscles, under the lights that beamed across the room, the older was a sight to behold. It took everything Dick had to not reach out and trace Jason’s biceps.

“Hi,” he greeted, happy that Jason was here. As the party went on, Dick had been afraid that the older had changed his mind. “I didn’t think you were going to show.”

“Oh, Dickie. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Jason smiled and then pulled out a small box from the back pocket of his jeans. “Here, open it.”

“What’s this?” Dick asked and Jason tilted his head.

“A birthday gift, of course.”

“You didn’t have to!” the younger exclaimed, his cheeks burning while his heart skipped happily.

“I wanted to,” Jason said, a hint of adoration in his voice as he pushed back Dick’s hair. “Now, open it.”

Fingers shaking nervously, biting down on his lower lip, with barely concealed excitement, Dick unwrapped the box as his mind raced with possibilities. Even though he didn’t have to, Jason had gone out of his way to bring him a gift, something a lot of guests at the party seemed to have forgotten. There was no need for him to be this excited because gifts were customary for birthdays but Dick couldn’t help himself. Right now, he was latching onto the tiniest bit of hope that Jason liked him as much as he liked the older.

Finally, opening the wooden box with intricate designs carved all over it, Dick found a pendant inside. It was a blue sapphire in the shape of a teardrop, gold laced around. “Oh,” Dick breathed as he held up the chain, admiring the jewelry. “It’s so beautiful.”

“It reminded me of your eyes,” Jason admitted as he stepped closer, taking the pendant from Dick and motioning towards the younger’s neck. “May I?”

Knowing that his voice was bound to shake when he answered, Dick just nodded, inhaling sharply when Jason’s cold fingers brushed against his skin. Their eyes met as the older unlocked the chain, gaze unbroken even after the pendant had been secured around Dick’s throat. There was a certain power behind Jason’s green orbs and they held the younger in place, their color deep enough to drown someone.

Lifting his hand, Jason pressed his thumb against Dick’s plump lower lip, tracing their softness. “Beautiful,” he whispered and the younger wondered if he was still talking about the pendant.

Once again, like the night before, Jason was closing the distance between him and Dick, his hand placed on the younger’s waist. “May I?” he asked again and even this time, all Dick could do was nod, his heart beating so loud that it overshadowed the music playing in the background.

A single breath and their lips danced together, Dick’s back pressed against the bar as he opened his mouth to let Jason in, fingers fisting into the older’s shirt. This was what he had wanted, to be held this way, to be kissed this way and now, he had it. With just one taste of Jason on his lips, Dick knew he never wanted to stop.

   
  


Taking down one shot after another, Wally bounced on his feet, rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles. Tonight was the night of truth and he needed every bit of courage he could possibly get. If that meant he needed to rely on alcohol to help him out, so be it.

“You sure about this dude?” Roy asked, still uncertain about Wally’s plan but the redhead just nodded.

“I need to tell him,” he answered, trying to convince himself more than Roy. “Even if he doesn’t feel the same way about me, I have to tell him.”

Lips pressed together, Roy could only nod as he grabbed another shot and passed it onto Wally.

It had been years since Wally had first met Dick, years since he had been enamored by those beautiful blue eyes that saw the world in a way that no one else did. The more he got to know Dick, the more he was in the presence of that bright smile, Wally’s infatuation turned into love, an emotion so strong that he couldn’t move on even if he tried. For a long time, he had settled for being Dick’s support, his shoulder to cry on and his confidant but a part of him wanted more. A part of him wanted to call Dick his.

Roy had always known about Wally’s feelings for Dick and he was the one who pulled the redhead through the darker nights. After all, Dick was dating Barbara and even though Wally was happy for his friend, the sight of them together killed him every day.

Now, with Dick being single, Wally wanted to take his chance. He wanted to be more than just the best friend. While Roy wasn’t sure about this idea, Wally was adamant about confessing to Dick because he had hope that maybe, his feelings would be returned.

“Okay, I’m ready!” Wally clapped his hands together.

Taking in a deep breath, he pushed through the crowd of people, eyes searching for Dick and when he finally found his friend, the boy he had loved for years, Wally could feel his heartbreak. There, sitting by the bar, Dick was in someone else’s arms, looking at the man before him in a way that he had never looked at Wally.

“Walls, man, I’m so sorry,” Roy whispered, placing a hand on the redhead’s shoulder.

But Wally didn’t say anything. He just turned around and left, pushing through the throng of people to nurse his broken heart.

 

  
Stumbling into the bathroom, Jason quickly locked the door behind him as Dick nipped at his lips, tugging on his shirt until the older would pay attention to him again.

“So needy.” Jason laughed before pressing Dick’s body against the wall, kissing him and giving the younger what he wanted.

They kissed and kissed, Dick surging forward for more every time their lips broke apart. With every second, every breath all he wanted was to feel Jason on him, intoxicated by his touch. This was unlike anything Dick had ever felt, unlike anything he had experienced and he wanted more.

He had been with people before, kissed and made out but nothing compared to the way Jason made him feel. One touch was enough to make him shiver, each sensation going straight to his cock and as Jason’s tongue brushed against his, dominating and taking, Dick couldn’t help but moan, too lost in pleasure to be embarrassed by his actions.

Fingers running through his hair, Jason grabbed and tilted Dick’s head to expose his neck, pressing open-mouthed kisses against his skin while his free hand slid into Dick’s pants, grabbing hold of his already hard cock.

“Oh god,” the younger sobbed, overwhelmed with sensations as Jason started to stroke him, going faster with every kiss.

And as Dick clung to the older, slowly losing himself with each stroke, a sharp pain burst through, something piercing into him. Jason’s mouth was clamped against his throat, tongue lapping at skin and Dick should have been worried, he should have wondered why he was hurting. But soon, ecstasy filled his mind, eyes fluttering shut as his head fell against the wall, letting go of all inhibitions as he allowed himself to feel and nothing else.

Soon, Jason was licking a stripe across his neck until he was nipping against Dick’s earlobe, making the younger shudder. “Come for me, Dickie,” he ordered and his voice was the last straw, white painting across the younger’s chest.

Breathing hard, knees too weak to stand, Dick buried his face in Jason’s chest as the older hoisted him up, setting his pliant body on the counter.

“Have you ever been with a man, Dickie?” Jason asked gently, stroking the younger’s hair soothingly.

“No,” Dick answered, his voice soft as he blinked through the haze he had lost himself into, his eyes bleary.

As if pleased by the answer, Jason pressed a kiss against the younger’s temple, his grip around him tightening. “Then I’ll give you everything you want. Just name it and it is yours,” he promised.

Fingers tangled in Jason’s hair, Dick could only giggle against the older’s skin because he didn’t need the world. He didn’t need the starts or the money. All he wanted was one simple thing.

“I just need you,” he confessed and the brightest smile spread across Jason’s face, red coloring his lips.

“Happy birthday, Dickie,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss Dick again.

And when their lips met, blood-filled Dick’s mouth, its metallic taste coating his tongue but intoxicated by love, he didn’t even notice.

 

“Has it begun?” the hooded figure sitting on the thickest branch of the tree Stephanie was standing by asked.

Raven curls spilled from under the purple hood, dark eyes staring at Wayne Manor that was now drowning in darkness, pulsating around the old gothic structure like a disease. Stephanie had been here since it had begun, watching as a single shadow, weak and helpless grew stronger with each passing second, the clock counting down to twelve. It devoured everything in its path, consuming what was weak and tainting the rest until the bells signaling the arrival of midnight echoed through the grounds.

“It’s begun,” Stephanie answered, an unpleasant feeling settling in the pit of her stomach even though she should have been happy.

“I’ll let Mistress know then,” Helena Wayne said, slipping from the branch and disappearing into thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said before this was more of a "hey that escalated" chapter, though it turned out longer than I wanted it to. I know the Wally bit came out of nowhere but I promise it serves a purpose in later chapters. And hey, we now have Stephanie and Helena in the party, though I'll let you guess if they are the good or the bad guys.  
> That's it for now uwu


	7. Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Welcome to my cage, little lover_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea by Missio

Wally knew pain.

He had been familiar with it since he was a child. From the scratches on his legs from falling too often to losing the people he loved, Wally had felt it all. Yet, for some reason, the pain coiling in his chest as his heart struggled to mend itself was different from anything he had experienced. Even though he had run away from the party, every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Dick in someone else’s arms.

They had been friends forever and Dick had only ever seen him as a friend. They had been friends forever so why had Wally believed that his confession would change everything?

A man deluded, he had stared at his reflection, feeding himself hope until it turned into over-confidence, his desire to be with Dick stronger than before. Despite Roy’s many warnings, disapproval and worry ringing through the redhead’s words, Wally hadn’t listened. For someone who had known everything about Dick, he had been fooled by his own optimism.

Now, everything was a mess. Dick was with someone else and Wally couldn’t find it in his heart to be happy.

Wiping his tears away with the sleeve of his shirt, one arm wrapped around his waist, Wally walked down the empty street, hoping that by the time he reached home, he would feel better. The last thing he wanted was for his parents to be worried about him. They as it is didn’t care for his friends, thinking of them as nothing but spoiled rich brats and on more than one occasion, Roy had proved them right. Wally didn’t need that right now. What he needed was to curl up in his bed so he could sort his thoughts before he had to see Dick again.

Shivering against the sudden cold wind, eyes fluttering shut, Wally lifted his head and his footsteps came to a stop. There, just a few feet away stood a woman, dressed from head to toe in black: a high neck blouse with ruffles down the front, a bustle skirt, stockings running over the exposed skin of her legs with gloves and hat that had a veil attached to cover the rest. The click of her heels against the ground echoed in the empty neighborhood, hips swaying with every move. Every cell in his body screamed at Wally to run away but as the woman got closer and closer, all he could do was stand and stare.

Ruby lips showed through the lace of her veil once she stood right in front of him, stretching into a playful smile. Lifting one gloved hand, she stroked his cheek and Wally couldn’t help but shiver.

“I’ve been waiting for you, little one,” the woman sang, her melodic voice circling in his mind, drowning him slowly. “I think there is something you need from me.”

“I…” Wally started, trying to fight through the haze he was losing himself in but as her fingers tangled into his hair, tilting his head until his blue eyes stared into red, within a breath he was defeated. “I want it to stop hurting,” he confessed and the woman’s smile got wider.

With her free hand, grabbing her veil, she lifted it until her mouth was exposed and Wally watched as her canines elongated, turning into fangs, the tips of which were now resting against her bottom lip. “That can be granted,” she whispered, sending a shiver down his spine as her fingers pulled on his hair, exposing his throat. “For a price.”

 

 

Dick giggled as kisses were placed across his neck, fingers running over his skin and tickling him until he was finally awake.

“Stop,” he laughed, fighting against Jason’s hold but the older man just grinned, arms tightening around Dick’s waist.

“Good morning,” he whispered, burying his face in the crook of Dick’s neck, inhaling his scent.

Last night, after the kiss and everything that followed, before the party was even over, Jason and Dick had returned home, wanting more privacy. They had tried their best to be quiet as they snuck in through the front door but intoxicated with each other, they couldn’t stop kissing and touching. Thankfully, Alfred was nowhere in sight. While the plan had been to drop Dick at his room, one goodnight kissed turned into another and then one more and another one after that.

Knowing that they weren’t ready to part, the two boys decided to spend the rest of the night in Dick’s room. Settled in bed, limbs tangled together, they shared languid kisses until the younger finally fell asleep.

“I have to go,” Dick sighed, glancing at the clock and remembering that he had to reach school earlier than usual. After all, he had a student council meeting.

“Stay.” Jason nipped at his earlobe, hands slipping under his shirt.

Breath hitching, Dick arched into the older’s touch, biting his lower lip to keep in moans as fingers pulled and twisted his nipples. “I want to stay,” he breathed, groaning as Jason bit into his throat. “But I— _ahh—_ I really have to go.”

As Dick tried to get out of bed, Jason pulled him back in, turning his head so that they were kissing, deep and hard. Gripping Dick’s hips, Jason pressed him into the mattress, breaking away from his lips only to drag his tongue across the younger’s chest.

“I guess,” Dick started, breathing hard as he stared at Jason who was busy marking his skin. “That I could stay.”

Looking up with a wicked grin, Jason slipped his hand into Dick’s boxer, palming his erection. “Good choice,” he whispered before kissing him once again.

   
  


The day passed by in a daze for Dick. Instead of paying attention during class, he constantly kept losing himself in thoughts of Jason, his smile, his touch. Unfortunately, his daydreaming was so obvious that every time a love-struck smile spread across his face, the teacher’s had no choice but to call him out. This made him the center of attention in class because it wasn’t like Dick to behave this way. He was never late and he barely missed a day of school unless he was so sick that he couldn’t get out of bed. Thankfully, no one made any attempts to ask any questions. Even his friends had left him to his thoughts.

It was only when the bell rang to signal the end of the day, snapping Dick back to reality, that he noticed the seat usually occupied by Wally as empty. He glanced around the classroom but the redhead was nowhere in sight. Was he so hungover after the party that he decided to stay at home to rest?

Grabbing his books, Dick headed down the busy hallway, spotting Roy near his locker.

“Hey, Roy!” Dick waved, a bright smile on his face because he couldn’t wait to talk to his friends about Jason. Roy would be the happiest to know that he was finally seeing someone.

But as he approached his friend, all he got in return was a half-hearted wave and a cold face. Dick should have seen the signs right then and there but he pushed forward, hoping that Roy was just upset because of something that had happened during class.

“Thanks for the party last night,” he said, nervous as Roy’s cold eyes watched him and that was such a strange feeling because if there was someone who could be himself in front of, it was Roy. “I really had fun.”

“No problem, Dick,” Roy said, voice flat as he shut his locker.

“Um… Well… where’s Wally? Did he drink too much?” Dick joked but as the redhead’s eyes narrowed, his smile slipped away.

“Unlike you, Wally didn’t have such a great time last night,” Roy bit out, averting his gaze.

Throat dry, fingers clenching and unclenching, Dick stared at his friend, trying to figure out why he was so upset but coming up with nothing. It wasn’t unusual for Roy to get angry. The redhead had a short temper and it was easy to set him off but usually, he tried his best not to blast his friends for the mistakes someone else had made. Even though Dick was sure he hadn’t done anything wrong, it seemed that his friend’s anger was directed at him.

“Is he sick?” Dick asked, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “Maybe we can call and find out?”

Roy shook his head. “I think you should leave him alone.”

“Oh come on. If it’s nothing bad I’m sure Wally would be thrilled if we visited.” Dick smiled, pressing the call button only for Roy to snatch his phone.

“Like I said, _Dick,_ leave Wally the fuck alone! I think you’ve hurt him enough!”

Silence fell in the hallway as Roy’s voice cut through every conversation that was taking place, people turning around to see what the commotion was about. And as they whispered to one another, watching Dick with judgemental eyes, he couldn’t help but shake, still not understanding why his friend was angry with him. What had he done? How had he hurt Wally?

Muttering to himself, anger deflating, Roy turned to Dick, opening his mouth to apologize but before he could, his friend was rushing down the hall and disappearing from sight.

  


The journey to Blackgate had been a short yet stressful one.

As Damian and Timothy walked down the port, finally finding a ferry that would take them to the island, they could feel the eyes of the locals on them, watching their every move. Dressed immaculately from head to toe, it showed that the two men did not belong. People like them weren’t supposed to have business in places like Blackgate. What they needed could be handled by others. Yet, here Damian was, walking straight under the gazes of those who hated him from the moment they saw him.

There wasn’t much he and Timothy had to talk about as the ferry moved towards the island. After all, there was only one question they had to ask David Cain: Who was Jason Todd and what did he want? Based on the answer he received, Damian would take action and the problem of Todd’s presence around Richard would be dealt with, once and for all.

Even though the solution seemed easy, Damian couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, his only support, the rock that kept him steady turned out to be Timothy. Last night, when the younger had shown up at his hotel room, Damian had been sure that he wouldn’t sleep. He had never been one to share his bed with another and he definitely wasn’t one to ‘cuddle’. Yet, when Timothy buried himself in his arms, it felt right. He would never admit it but that was the best sleep he had gotten in a long time.

“You okay?” Timothy asked, bring Damian back to reality and the older nodded, hoping that he hadn’t been caught staring.

Right now, they were waiting for David Cain to be brought to a private room where they could question him without the fear of some other inmate listening in. Damian had to pull some strings to make this happen but that was alright. He had an influential name and he wasn’t afraid to use it, especially when his family’s safety was on the line.

“I will be once this is over,” he answered and as if to comfort him, Timothy laced their fingers under the table, not letting go even when the door opened.

With his hands chained, David Cain walked in with two other guards, a cruel smile on his face, almost amused by the fear of those around him. While one guard held the door open, the other pushed the prisoner into a chair, cuffing his hands to the wooden arms so he couldn’t attack. Once Cain had been secured, with a warning look and a nod towards Damian, the guards left, closing the door behind them.

“So, how may I help you gentlemen today?” Cain asked, amusement in his eyes.

“We have some questions,” Timothy started, sitting up straight in his chair.

The prisoner tilted his head. “About?”

“Your family.”

Rolling his eyes at the questions, David’s shoulders slumped in defeat, the smile falling from his face. “That’s all anyone ever cares about you know?” he said, raising the pitch of his voice to mock the ones who had come to see him before. “Why’d you do it, David? Why did you kill your family? Are you insane?” Anger flashed through Cain’s eyes as his lips pulled back in a snarl, fingers digging into the arm of his chair. “I’ll tell you what I told everyone. I put a stake through their hearts to save this world from those fucking monsters. I killed them all and I’d do it all over again. You won’t believe me now but one day, you’ll see every little thing hiding in the dark and then you’ll thank me.”

Loosening his tie, Damian attempted to stay calm and collected before the enraged man but he couldn’t stop thinking about his words. What could possibly drive a man to kill his own family, his children?

“We’ve all read the news report, Mr. Cain. We know why you killed your family. That’s not what we’re here about today,” Timothy said, maintaining his cool.

Cain’s brows furrowed. “Then what are you here for?”

“We want to know who Jason Todd is and how he is related to you,” Damian cut in, wanting the killer’s eyes off Timothy. Something about Cain’s gaze on the younger made him extremely uncomfortable.

Eyes flickering to the older, Cain raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head. “I don’t know a Jason,” he said and Damian could feel his heart sink.

“Are you absolutely positive?” Damian asked, leaning forward. “Perhaps he is a distant cousin, a relative you never really met.”

It was true that Damian was out to get Todd, to reveal his secrets so he could keep the man away from his brother but there was a part of him that hoped that his suspicion was wrong. Because if he was right in being cautious of the man, it meant that he had left someone dangerous in the Manor alone with Richard.

“Didn’t you hear what I said before?” David Cain smiled, showing his teeth like a predator and Damian’s heart hammered in his chest. “I don’t have a family left. I killed them all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since there a quite a few characters in this fic, it will be a bit longer than my usual but I'll try my best to keep things interesting for those reading. Not a lot of creepiness in this chapter but there's plot progression so yaay!


	8. Science

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Nothing feels as right as stumbling through the dark with you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Science by Allie X

Damian’s upbringing had never been normal.

Instead of being born from the union of two lovers, he was born out of wedlock, a one night stand gone wrong and a reminder of his father’s shame. For the first few years of his life, he had grown up in secrecy, trained in everything the heir of two pure bloodlines needed to know. In the Al-Ghul family, there was no room for mistakes and Damian had learned that before he had even learned to walk. His grandfather was a man feared by everyone, a man wanted by many and under his watch, Damian grew up to be cold and calculative, never trusting another soul. Unlike other children who grew up surrounded with love and adventure, toys and chocolates, all Damian ever got was a knife and drops of poison in his food to make him immune.

By the time he came to live with his father, he was ten and set in his ways. The parts of him that were revered by the Al-Ghuls were in turn hated by the Waynes. Instead of continuing his education under his grandfather, Damian had been thrust into a world where he had the chance to be normal but he never really knew what it meant. With the many secrets his birth father kept, he was never one to help Damian be better than what he was.

Alone in Wayne Manor, all Damian had was his confusion and ideals taught by a mother who never came back to take him home.

Bruce Wayne couldn’t change him, Alfred Pennyworth could so rarely bring out the child in him and Timothy Drake infuriated him. His father had a blood son so what was the need for another heir, one picked from a stranger’s house? Damian couldn’t stand him because Timothy was every bit the son that Damian could never be.

And then came Richard Grayson, an eight-year-old who had lost his family to a tragic accident. Damian wanted to hate him as much as he hated Timothy but he couldn’t, not when the younger smiled brighter than any star in the sky.

It was Richard who slowly changed him, who made him realize the mistakes he made because he never knew better. It was Richard who gave Damian the chance to be a part of the Wayne family and now, it was Richard who was bound to get hurt because of their father’s foolishness.

But Damian would find a way to fix this, he would find a way to save his brother if only Timothy would do them both a favor and get off his ass.

“We should be on our way to Gotham,” Damian pointed out with barely controlled anger but Timothy was undeterred by the tone of his voice, typing away on his laptop like a man possessed.

“How exactly will that help us?”

“What do you mean? We go home and we tell father the truth!” Damian exclaimed, confused by the younger’s reluctance to leave.

“And what proof do you have? The words of a lunatic who killed his whole family?” Timothy finally looked up from his laptop, waiting for Damian to continue, to fight him but the older man had nothing to say.

Even though Damian always had a hard time admitting it, Timothy was right. He could barge into Wayne Manor, drag Todd out by the collar of his shirt and expose the man for his deception but just as Timothy said, the words of a convicted man would never hold as substantial proof. If Damian wanted to get rid of the stranger, he needed something stronger to back his accusation.

Glancing at Timothy who had gone back to typing, Damian bit down the urge to be arrogant, to pretend that he knew everything and did not need someone else’s help. “What do you propose we do?” he asked, voice strained and the look of surprise on the younger’s face showed that even he noticed how out of character the question was for Damian.

“Wow, never thought this day would come.” Timothy chuckled, clearing his throat when he felt the older’s glare on him. “Well, it seems that David Cain’s house is still standing since it passed on to the caretakers, the Wilkes.”

“Why didn’t they just sell the place?” Damian asked, brows furrowed.

Smiling mischievously, Timothy shut his laptop. “That’s what we’re going to find out.”

   
  
  


Growing up, Dick had always been surrounded by love.

From his parents to his circus troupe and the audience, wherever he looked, there was only love in the air, admiration for what he could do and applause for everything he achieved. Swaddled in affection, kisses placed against his forehead every morning, hands held as he ran through markets, tickles that made him laugh until he cried and fingers that brushed through his hair when monsters haunted his dreams, Dick’s life rarely had a moment when he was deprived of love. Even though he didn’t remember how his parents passed away, why he was taken from his circus family, he remembered everything he had been given since he was born and everything he had lost when he came to live at Wayne Manor.

The residents of Wayne Manor weren’t big on physical affection, Bruce’s body stiffening every time Dick charged in to give him a hug and Damian putting a time limit on how long he could be held (no more than three hugs in a week for two minutes only). Only Alfred and Tim returned his love but the two were always too busy to be bothered.

Dick loved his new home and his new family but living in the Manor had deprived him of all the little things he needed so desperately. Even if he made a lot of friends, his world expanding, nothing ever came close to the feeling of warmth that filled his chest when he was with his parents.

Nothing until now.

Dick hummed happily, eyes closed and face pressed against Jason’s chest, listening carefully as the older read to him, one hand stroking his hair. There was just something so captivating about Jason’s voice, the way the tone changed from paragraph to dialogue, giving life to words written on paper. If he could, Dick would stay here, comfortable in Jason’s arms, all his worries chased away, the memory of Roy’s anger fading.

But it never completely disappeared.

Since Roy’s outburst, Dick couldn’t help but wonder why the redhead was angry at him. He could admit that sometimes he made mistakes, sometimes his emotions got the best of him and in the process, people around him got hurt. Dick could admit his faults and he was always more than ready to make up for what he had done. But as Roy screamed at him, the only thing Dick felt was confusion because his friend never offered any explanation for his words. Instead, he had shut out Dick, ignoring messages and calls.

Dick didn’t know what he had done to deserve this and with no answers provided, all he could do was think and overthink until he was feeling guilty for something he hadn’t done.

“Are you alright?” Jason asked, putting his book down as he glanced at Dick.

“I—I’m fine,” Dick started because the last thing he wanted to do was bother the older with his problems but as he made excuses for his behavior, Jason just shook his head.

Smiling gently, he cupped the younger’s face, tilting it back until they were looking into each other’s eyes. “You don’t have to lie to me, okay? If something is bothering you, I want to know. I want to help. You don’t have to go through anything alone so just…” Jason took a deep breath, smile becoming tight. “Be honest with me.”

Taking Jason’s hands in his, all Dick could do was nod because he felt a bit overwhelmed. He was used to dealing with his problems on his own. It wasn’t that he never had people to depend on, it was just that no one had ever assured him that his pain wouldn’t be their burden.

“I just…” He sighed and then shook his head. “I had this fight with a friend at school. Well, it wasn’t really a fight actually. Roy was just mad at me for something…. Basically, Wally was hurt because of me but I don’t know what I did and Roy won’t tell me either.”

Jason’s brows furrowed. “That doesn’t seem right, Dickie.”

“I know I should be trying harder to find out—”

“No. That’s not what I meant. I think that your friend, this Roy, being mad at you is unfair. If you did something that hurt Wally, then that is between you and him. If Roy cared, instead of being angry, he would help the two of you sort things out,” Jason explained, one finger pushing Dick’s hair back.

Biting on his lower lip, the younger nodded, knowing that Roy’s anger usually just made things worse. “Roy has his reasons,” he tried to defend his friend, knowing that things weren’t easy for the redhead but Jason didn’t seem convinced.

“Suffering isn’t an excuse to be an asshole. Everyone has pain in their lives. Roy is not special and he shouldn’t be hurting your feelings in the process. What happens after Roy apologizes for his outburst?” Jason asked.

“…We go back to being friends until he gets angry again.”

Lifting Dick’s hands, Jason placed soft kisses on his knuckles, sympathy in his eyes. “I just want the best for you, Dickie,” he said and the younger nodded.

He would mull over everything that had happened for a little while longer and maybe it would hurt more. Maybe the pain would stay even after Roy explained himself and things were sorted. Dick couldn’t be sure. But for now, with Jason, he would be alright.

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Jason urged.

Looking up to meet the older’s eyes, instead of staring into turquoise, Dick lost himself in red, so transfixed by the color that the panic that rose in his chest for a split second disappeared, mind numbing.

“You’re okay. You’re not sad because of Roy,” Jason whispered and the younger nodded, forgetting his self-doubt and guilt, feelings of pain being replaced with indifference.

“I’m not sad because of Roy,” he repeated.

Jason smiled. “Good boy.”

Then lifting his hand, Jason pulled back the sleeve of his shirt and bit into his own wrist, the sound of flesh being torn filling the room. “Come here,” the older ordered and Dick found his back molded against Jason’s chest, shivering slightly as two cold fingers parted his lips.

“There we go,” Jason whispered into his ears, pressing his bleeding wrist against Dick’s mouth. “Drink up.”

Unable to stop himself, seeing only crimson leaking from Jason’s wrist, Dick licked across the wound, eyes fluttering shut as he felt nothing but the sensation of blood filling his mouth.

 

 

Wally wondered if he had been forgotten.

How much time had passed, hours, days or maybe months since the darkness swallowed him whole, piercing into his veins and filling his lungs until he was choking on nothing, struggling to breathe in the confines of an abandoned house, a toy for the woman who called herself his master. Watching him suffer made her happy, the sound of her cruel laughter echoing through the forgotten halls. Sometimes she would give him orders he couldn’t deny, his body moving of its own accord. Others, she would bite deep into him but leave him to bleed after a sip or two.

There was nothing Wally wanted more than escape but her crimson eyes chained him to the ground, helpless and broken. She reminded of how she had helped him, how she had taken away something he never wanted, replacing whatever he let go of with fear and he so desperately wished there was a way for him to undo their deal.

“Mistress,” a soft voice came from the shadows, a figure forming in their embrace. “You have no need for the boy.”

Snapping her fingers, his master finally let Wally breathe, air finally following through his closed throat. “I believe that is not for you to decide,” she said, her voice low and dangerous that it made the redhead flinch. He knew that in the end, he would have to pay the price for angering her.

“It’s just… you have me, Mistress. The boy could only cause unnecessary problems. He is much too close to Richard.”

Wally’s ears perked up as Dick’s real name was mentioned. There was always a possibility that the stranger in the dark was speaking of someone entirely different but just his friend’s name was enough to give him some hope. Maybe, he could get out of here.

“I know!” His master clapped her hands together. “This is exactly why I chose him. You are the perfect spy, Helena, darling, but this boy.” Cold fingers pushed back Wally’s hair. “He is closer to the filth than you are. This way I can make sure that Jason keeps up his end of the bargain.”

“You know he wouldn’t--”

“Yes, yes, I know but it doesn’t hurt to be careful. If Jason sees our plan till the end, good and if he doesn’t, I’ll know before he has the chance to stab me in the back. No matter what happens, at the end of it all, I’ll have my daughter back.”

Wally pretended that he wasn’t listening, he pretended that he was too tired to care about the conversation taking place. On the inside, his heart hammered in his chest with worry and fear because he knew that they were talking about his friend, his Dick. He couldn’t really understand what these creatures were or what they wanted but he did know that he had to find a way to get Dick away from Jason. He had to do something to save his friend.

“Well, if you wish to use him, you can’t keep him here any longer or hurt him more. People are bound to come looking if he stays missing,” the gentle voice said, a finger dancing over Wally’s skin.

“Hmmm, maybe you’re right. I should let him go,” his master sighed, a hand roughly grabbing Wally’s arm to haul him up, a cry escaping his lips. “But maybe after a bite.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I noticed I was already on chapter 8 I realize this fic is probably going to be my longest (I know I thought the same for the last one as well) but then again, it has more characters and plot lines that I need to take care. Hopefully, I won't forget o_o


	9. Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Your heart hits like a drum, the hunt has just begun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Monsters by Ruelle

There was something missing.

Dick didn’t know when or why he started feeling this way but every time he was left on his own, his mind no longer consumed by thoughts of Jason, there was a hole in his heart, a hole in his memories. There were emotions that he was sure he was meant to harbor until there was some kind of resolution, certain things he was meant to remember. Yet, every time he tried to remember the end of his day, his head burst with pain, vision blurring, stopping him from seeing something he knew he needed to.

Unlike the past two days, he had woken up alone, Jason’s side of the bed empty as the older had to leave early for work, giving Dick time to go over his thoughts. Staring up at the ceiling and slowly going over everything that had happened the day before, he did his best to connect the dots, to remember what he had forgotten but every time Dick was sure he was close, the pain would return, making him curl up into a ball.

Dick didn’t understand why this was happening to him, why it felt like he was slowly losing his mind. What he did know was that maybe, these few hours away from Jason would only benefit him. This way, he could focus completely on himself.

Forcing himself out of bed, Dick headed to the washroom so he could start getting ready for school. He freshened up, changed into his uniform and left before anyone had the chance to stop him. Bruce was probably home now, maybe Damian and Tim as well. Usually, Dick would always make sure to greet them, never missing those rare breakfasts when his whole family was present. But today, too lost in his own thoughts, he found it easier to run away than to be questioned.

Drowning in questions, with his books tucked under his arm, Dick made his way through the crowded halls of his school wondering if the loss of memory was just an aftermath of stress. Worried about graduation and his future, he had barely slept or eaten properly.

“Dick!”

Looking up, Dick found Roy waving at him, face uncertain as he approached. The redhead chewed on his lower lip, let out a nervous breath, fingers running through his barely combed hair, all the three signs that showed that he was nervous. Dick just didn’t know why. A part of him was sure that something had happened between him and Roy but for some reason, he couldn’t remember what.

“About… yesterday,” his friend started and took in a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper on you. It was a shit thing to do.”

“It’s… it’s okay.” Dick nodded, accepting Roy’s apology and forgiving him even though he didn’t know what for. “Shit happens.”

A bright smile appeared on Roy’s face as he pulled Dick in for a hug. “You really are the best, Dickie.”

Wrapping his arms around his friend, Dick felt slightly hesitant but he didn’t understand why. Usually, he forgave Roy within seconds, understanding his friend's condition at home and never holding his outbursts against him. But today, he wanted to push Roy ever, scream and humiliate him.

“Hey, I have to get to class now but I’ll see you at lunch?” Roy asked, pulling back and smiling softly.

Just like that, absolved of the guilt that he was feeling, the redhead skipped away to his class while Dick stared at his back, left with more questions than answers, left with emotions he didn’t think he was capable of feeling.

Fingers clenched, taking in a steady breath, Dick headed to his seat, pushing down his feelings of anger and resentment, knowing that they didn’t have a place in his life. Whatever it was, whatever he couldn’t remember about Roy, he knew he had to let it go, he knew he had to find a way to work past everything. Roy was his closest friend and the last thing Dick wanted was to lose him.

Settling into his seat, Dick had just opened his textbook when two arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him into a choking hug. “Dickie!” Wally exclaimed, excitement ringing through his voice.

“Woah, Walls! Did you win the lottery or something?” Dick joked but the smile on his lips died the moment he looked at his friend.

While happiness radiated from Wally, his dry lips pulled into a huge smile, there was something strange and sickly about him. The tan that he had promised to work on during the summer had faded, leaving his skin inhumanely pale and patchy, a bandage wrapped around his throat and on various parts of his arms. The bags under his sunken eyes provided a contrast against his ghostly white skin. And even though he looked ready to fall over in exhaustion, he seemed to be pushing himself to stand straight, limbs trembling.

“Wally, are you okay?” Dick asked as he wrapped a steadying arm around his friend, helping him into the empty chair in front of his desk.

“Me? I’m fine.” Wally lifted his hand to wave off the question. “Let’s talk about you instead! What’s up with you?”

“Dude, I really think you need to go to the infirmary,” Dick urged, slightly creeped out by his friend’s behavior.

“I’m fine, Dickie! Seriously! So let’s please talk about you.”

“Wally--”

It was like a switch had been flipped. Smile turning into a frown, eyes filling with fear, Wally’s fingers latched onto Dick’s hand, fingernails digging into his skin as the redhead’s whole body shook, frantically looking around for someone who wasn’t there. “Please, Dickie,” Wally begged, his grip on his friend tightening until the former acrobat was flinching with pain. “Let’s just talk about you.”

“Okay,” Dick whispered, pushing away his friend’s hand. “Okay, we’ll talk about me.”

Relief spreading over his face, Wally nodded gratefully. “Thank you. Thank you so much,” he almost sobbed as if Dick wasn’t agreeing to a silly request but instead, had spared his life.

   
  


Tim always believed that as long as he had a plan, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

Before starting a project, he made sure to gather as much information as he possibly could. After all, knowledge was power. He studied his subject extensively, predicting what he needed to do to reach his end goal. Mock scenarios were created, the responses of people predicted and answers were prepared accordingly. As long as he covered all the angles, there was no way he could fail.

For the first time in his life, Tim was playing a game where he didn’t have all the variables, a game where one wrong move could cost him everything. There was much left to uncover, danger left to face yet he had chosen to put all his eggs into one basket.

Damian had always been painfully predictable, thinking and behaving the way everyone around him expected him to. It was only when he was angry that he became a bit of a mystery. He could either blow up like a volcano that had been dormant for centuries or there would only be silence followed by judgment that would make anyone want to run away.

While Tim planned for the worst, always having back-ups in case something went wrong, this time, even though there was so much at risk, instead of multiple possibilities, he had only given himself one. There was always a chance for Damian to overthink something or react poorly, a mistake that could ruin everything. But thankfully, all the cards were in Tim’s hands and as long as he was careful with every move, eventually he would win.

Looking up from his phone, Tim glanced at Damian who was staring out the window, probably still worried about Dick. If it were up to him, Damian would be back home with the youngest, ready to rip him out of Jason’s hands if he had to. That’s just how protective he was.

There was a time when Tim was jealous of Damian’s relationship with Dick but now, he realized that he never wanted that bond. He wanted something entirely different.

“Do you think the Wilkes will be ready to tell us everything that we need to know?” Damian asked, his eyes shifting from the view outside to Tim.

Shrugging, the younger pretended to scroll through his phone. “I can’t be sure. Unfortunately, whether they are helpful or not, you’ll be on your own.”

“What?!”

“I’m sorry, Dames.” Tim looked up at the older with sincerity. “If the choice were up to me, I would have happily gone with you. Unfortunately, we can’t both drop company work without raising suspicion.”

For a while, Damian looked like he wanted to protest, his eyes defiant but slowly, he pulled himself together, nodding and looking away from the younger. “I understand. I will deal with the Wilkes family on my own while you keep father or anyone else off my trail.”

“Aye, aye captain.” Tim smirked as the car came to a stop before Wayne Enterprises.

Parting ways from the older meant giving him the power to make the decisions. There would be no persuasion or logical thinking, just Damian on his own, hopefully handling the coming obstacles with maturity. Tim didn’t believe in hope. He believed in predictable outcomes.

Turning towards Damian, knowing that what he was about to do was risky, Tim grabbed the older’s tie and pulled him down until their lips were pressed together. “Do your best,” the younger whispered, taking another kiss before he left Damian flabbergasted.

Before there could be any questions or protests, Tim was out the door, walking into the building with a smirk. Now, no matter what happened, Tim would always be the first person that Damian thought of.

   
  


Ignoring the feeling of danger in the air, the voices that whispered behind his back and the eyes that watched him with suspicion, Jason slid into a booth in a secluded corner of the rundown bar where Stephanie had been waiting for him. There were so many different places they could have met, somewhere closer to the manor or in the manor itself but ever since she had been awakened, Steph had been enchanted by the idea of experiencing the lives of humans in this day and age.

“Never thought the day would come when I would see you walking under the sun again.” Jason smirked as Stephanie pushed a mug of lukewarm beer towards him.

Smilin shyly, the blonde glanced at the silver ring on her finger, tracing it gently. “I didn’t either but it was a gift from _her_ ,” she admitted.

The world was a cruel place, never willing to grant wishes without a price. Creatures like him that lived forever could only do so in the dark, their shame hidden from the world, never able to be in light's path ever again. Just a glimpse of the sun was enough to burn, skin scorching until shadows consumed them again. There would be no death but there would be endless agony. Thankfully, over the years, with magic a loophole had been found, making their lives easier but only a few had the privilege to feel the gentle light of the sun.

Covering Stephanie’s hand with his, Jason gave her a small smile before letting go. They had all the time in the world to relive the past but for now, they had business to discuss. “So, why call me out here?” he asked and Steph sighed.

“I needed to get you away from the Manor. Helena has been summoned,” the blonde explained, taking a sip of her beer and grimacing. “Ugh, how do people drink this?”

“They don’t. Not warm at least.” Jason rolled his eyes. “If Helena is here that means mother is here as well huh?”

“Considering how paranoid she is, did you think she would stay away?” Stephanie asked. “Thankfully, unlike the two of us, Helena doesn’t have a ring.”

“And mother won’t ever give her one.” Jason smirked cruelly. “She enjoys keeping her pets trapped.”

Jason never really got along with his family but he never had a bone to pick with Helena either. Brought to their household when she was just a young girl, she didn’t do anything wrong except be her father’s daughter. Blood must pay for blood and Helena had paid the price for the sins her ancestors had committed. Now she lived her life as his mother’s pet and there wasn’t anything anyone could do to save her.

“We don’t have any more chances left, Jase,” Stephanie whispered softly, losing her smile as she stared into Jason’s eyes. “If you don’t break the curse this time, your mother will take matters into her own hands.”

Fingers tapping against the table, Jason resisted the urge to break everything in sight. Things had been going so well between him and Dick that momentarily he had forgotten why he had been awakened. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t live in a bubble and forget what he was supposed to do.

“What if…” he started, though he knew the answer. “What if I need more time?”

Stephanie smiled sadly. “Even if you managed to convince your mother, _she_ has already been awakened.”

“What?”

“From the day Richard turned 18, her conscious has been awake. She’s been watching,” Stephanie explained, eyes watering with tears of joy as her fingers intertwined with Jason’s, providing comfort to his trembling body.

“I didn’t… I didn’t even notice,” he whispered, wondering how he could have missed this.

“It doesn’t matter, Jay.” Stephanie grinned. “This time, we can get her back!”

Through his life that never made sense since he had been turned into a creature of the dark, Jason was sure that he had never felt happiness like this. “We can get her back,” he repeated.

Finally, every tear, every hardship was worth something.

 

  
Throughout his life, Alfred had seen a lot of strange things but nothing really compared to Wayne Manor.

After seeing generations live and die, every door in the Manor held a secret waiting to be discovered, horrifying in its own little way. Certain wings of the manor had been abandoned after accidents that no one could explain, voices whispering in the dark as the residents went about their way, ignoring the eyes painted onto canvases that seemed to follow their every move. Some people blamed the shivers that ran down their spine and their sweaty palms on irrational fear. It was just a building made of brick and cement.

Those who did not fear the manor were the ones who knew its secrets, the deals made by each ancestor and the monsters that lived beneath the surface, looking forward to the day they could step into the light.

There was a time when Alfred wanted to quit. His job as a butler had always been a temporary one. The world awaited his arrival, ready to be explored but one tragic accident, tore the Wayne family apart, leaving the young master Bruce an orphan. Knowing that the boy had no one to save him from the darkness that was all but ready to consume him, Alfred had stayed. He had stayed so this young boy wouldn’t make the same mistakes his ancestors had.

Unfortunately, while he had saved Bruce from the darkness, he never knew he would have to save the boy from himself. But now, it was too late. Bruce Wayne had become a different kind of monster and Alfred could never complain. If his master’s hands were drenched in blood, Alfred’s were too.

It was too late to change, too late to beg for redemption.

Instead of finishing his usual duties, Alfred silently followed the shadows that had come to call him, dancing around his feet and pulling away the moment he noticed. They watched him as he moved, stopped at each corner to give him the chance to catch up and hissed like an angry cat when he refused to follow. Realizing that he didn’t have much of a choice, Alfred went along with this little game until he found himself standing in front of the red door that no one was allowed to open.

Without the key, there wasn’t really anything he could do but it seemed that whoever had called him had been prepared. As the shadows disappeared, the door creaked open, revealing a little gift in the form of a skull that belonged to a woman, something that had been lost years ago.

“Thank you, my dear,” Alfred whispered as he gathered the present in his arms, the door clicking shut.

With little contemplation, he decided that the skull belonged in the master bedroom for his ward to see. After all, Bruce needed to be reminded of the price he had paid to keep his daughter alive.


	10. Save Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You're the thing that makes me be afraid of myself_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Save Me by Omri

There was a time when Damian had been superstitious.

When he was growing up with his grandfather, Ra’s Al-Ghul, despite the little communication between them, there were times when he would hear about an elixir that could keep one alive forever. There were always stories about a natural pool of green water that existed underneath his home in Nanda Parbat, accessible only to his grandfather. One day, the secrets of the pool, the magical properties it held, immortality, it would all be Damian’s. All he had to do was prove himself as a worthy heir.

Day and night, apart from his usual studies, Damian became well versed in the mystic arts, listening carefully to each warning about creatures that lurked in the dark, wearing human skin and preying on fools that did not believe in their existence. He slept with one eye open, heeding his mother’s warnings about the supernatural that could come to claim him any day. But as time passed, the signs of his family being human and nothing more became more and more obvious. Damian never saw the so-called ‘Lazarus Pit’ his grandfather couldn’t help but brag about, he never found any monsters hiding beneath his bed.

Despite the fear they instilled in the hearts of men, despite their power, Damian realized that the superstitious beliefs of his family were holding them back.

He never wanted to be like them. He refused to believe in something he could not see from his own two eyes. Even though he was promised greatness, in the end, it was all for nothing. Damian Wayne could never be what his grandfather wanted. He was always his father’s son.

Bruce Wayne wasn’t the perfect father but he was a man that truly knew what it took to survive. Growing up in his care, Damian missed his mother every day but he never made any attempts to go back home. Nanda Parbat was not meant for a man such as him.

For years, Damian had been sure that his grandfather and mother were wrong, that there was no such thing as the supernatural but now, he couldn’t help but feel that maybe, in the end, he was the one who was truly wrong. He didn’t want to question his own beliefs, doubt everything that he had learned after leaving his true home and so Damian was searching for an answer that could explain his new situation logically.

Unless he saw it from his eyes, he would believe that Jason Todd was just an imposter after his father’s money.

As his car came to a stop, Damian rolled down his window to take a look at Cain Manor. The house had been in the Cain family for generations, holding within its embrace memories of love and laughter that had later been tainted by tragedy and death. Insanity was the only answer one could give for David Cain’s actions. There could be no other reason for him to wake up one day and behead his wife and children, painting the walls with their blood.

Stripped of its former glory, Cain Manor now stood dull and broken. Vines crept along the wooden surface, in a way becoming the only thing that held the old place together. Each window had been painted black and boarded shut from within, not giving anyone passing by the chance to peek in. The metal gate that led to the Manor was rusted and unlocked, leading straight to a yard where a man with red hair was raking fallen leaves.

From what Damian had read in the notes given to him, the redhead was Colin Wilkes, his primary source for information. While Valerie and Roger Wilkes refused to meet outsiders, simply focusing on their jobs, Colin was a bit more forthcoming and friendly. Timothy had been thorough with his research on the family.

Scrubbing his face with his hands, Damian took in a deep breath, feeling his heart hammer in his chest. Just the thought of Timothy was enough to remind him of the kiss that they had shared, the one that had left him breathless and wanting more. He had always reacted to the younger in a strange way, wanting to be in his presence, to touch him and listen to the sound of his voice, all feelings that Damian had learned to ignore. But now, he was afraid that he would not be able to keep what he felt for Timothy at bay.

However, right now, he didn’t have time to worry about something so trivial. He had a job to do.

Stepping out of the car, with his hands tucked into the pockets of his black coat, Damian made his way towards the unsuspecting man, watching him bob his head along to whatever song was playing through his earphones. Surprise flickered through Colin’s blue eyes as he glanced up and noticed Damian.

“Can I help you?” he asked, pulling out his earphones.

Eyes shifting from the redhead to the house behind him, Damian nodded, trying to keep his voice neutral. “I was hoping you could answer some questions about the Cain family,” he answered, noticing the way Colin’s eyes got darker, his curiosity replaced with annoyance.

“Look, whatever you need to know, I’m sure you can find it online,” he said, promptly going back to work to put an end to the conversation.

“I’m not here to talk about David Cain and what he did. I’ve already spoken to him myself,” Damian started, the redhead’s body stiffening.

“What?”

Damian nodded. “Yes. The man truly believes that he did the right thing by killing his family.”

“If you know all this, why are you here? What more could you possibly want to know?” Colin asked, glancing up at the raven-haired man with an uneasy look. He looked downright uncomfortable and maybe, a little afraid. Damian wondered why.

“I just wish to know about the Cain family tree, specifically if there are any survivors,” he answered, not wanting to give away too much. There could be a chance that the Wilkes family was working with Todd.

“Well, I can’t help you there.” Colin sighed, glancing back at the Manor. “I was a child when Mr. David killed his whole family and ever since he was convicted, no one has come by to visit the manor. The real owner, whoever he or she is, they keep sending my family money to take care of the place so we’ve continued to stay.”

“Wait, according to the reports, your family owns the manor,” Damian pointed out.

“Your reports were wrong.” Colin scratched the back of his head. “If this place belonged to my parents, they would have sold it a long time ago.”

Timothy was always thorough with the information he collected, making sure that everything he knew was true. It was strange for him to ever be wrong. How far was the owner of the house willing to go to hide their existence?

“If that’s all, I’d like to get back to work,” Colin said, lips pressed into a thin line.

“Is there any way that you would let me take a look inside the manor?” Damian asked and the redhead furrowed his brows.

“What? No. The manor is off limits to everyone, even my family.” He shook his head, stepping back and looking ready to bolt.

“But--”

“It’s not going to happen.”

“Whatever the owner is paying you, I’ll pay you double,” Damian offered but Wilkes just rolled his eyes.

“A no means a no, rich boy.”

Damian scowled at that. Any other day, he would respect people who turned down an offer for money to keep their morals but today, he needed Colin to be a lesser man, someone that could be bribed easily. Knowing that the redhead couldn’t be swayed easily, he decided to change tactics.

“You’ve lived here since you were born?” he asked and the redhead nodded, suspicious. “Then that means you knew David Cain’s son. Maybe… he was your friend.”

Colin didn’t say a word but the look on his face was enough to give Damian his answer.

“Has there never been a day when you wondered why David Cain did what he did?” he asked, hoping that his plan wouldn’t backfire.

“He went mad. We all know that,” Colin bit out.

“Yes but what if there’s more?” Damian asked. “What if madness was not the only reason behind his actions?”

Blue eyes wavering with emotions, Colin’s grip around the rake tightened, fingers balling into a fist. He looked ready to attack the man before him but instead, he took in a deep breath, exhaling with a sigh. “I can’t let you go in,” he started, Damian’s heart sinking at those words. “But I can convince my mother to talk to you. She might be able to answer your questions better than me.”

While this outcome wasn’t what he expected, it was something so without fighting Colin more, Damian nodded.

 

  
Claws digging into fragile flesh, body writhing against his, blood laced with fear, Jason held onto the man in his arms, crushing his bones with the gentlest squeeze as he fed until he was full. There was something so delicious about those last few drops before the light faded from his victim’s eyes, before they took their final breath.

Unlike the rest of his kind, Jason never found killing enjoyable because even after the many years he had spent as an immortal, he still remembered what it was like to be human, to eat normal food, to feel and to live each day like it was his last, walking under the sun without protection. But despite resenting the habits that immortals adopted over the years, he couldn’t deny the thrill he felt when he ended the life of scum. After seeing the world for what it truly was, there was no better way to use his powers than to ensure that the darkness could never hurt the innocent again.

Once his prey had nothing more left to give, Jason let the body in his arms go, crumpling like a broken doll. The woman that he had saved from a horrible fate curled into a corner, whimpering at the sight before her and Jason couldn’t blame her. In her eyes, she had been saved from one monster only to land into the arms of another. Shrugging off his jacket, he threw it at her so she could cover her torn clothes, causing her to flinch.

Kneeling in front of her, staring into her eyes, he held her gaze. “You will go home and forget that you were ever attacked. You will forget this man and you will forget me. Nothing happened tonight,” he ordered and under his spell, despite the fear that thrummed through his veins, she nodded.

Then, without a second to waste, she was on her feet, walking away like a puppet on strings, disappearing from sight. Meanwhile, the dead body of her attacker was devoured by shadows, never to be found again.

Now full, anything that could incriminate him or the woman taken care of, with one last glance at the alley that he was in, Jason stepped through the darkness, allowing its touch to guide him to his destination. He would have preferred to go home and rest until the sunset, its light unable to drain his strength but with everything he had learned from Stephanie, Jason had no time to waste. This was his last chance to break the curse which meant that Dick Grayson had to be his, one way or another.

As the darkness faded, the sun’s rays brushing across his skin, Jason opened his eyes and found himself on the turn that led to Gotham Academy. A black car was parked next to the sidewalk, Alfred Pennyworth waiting for him. It was as if the old man knew exactly when Jason would arrive. Knowing Alfred, Jason wouldn’t be surprised if he actually did.

“As you requested,” the butler said, holding out the car keys.

“Thank you.” Jason took the keys and then glanced at Alfred, feeling a bit awkward. “Do you need a ride back home?”

“That will not be necessary. Master Bruce is running some errands for me nearby,” Alfred informed, a sly smile appearing on his face. To the world, he may just be a butler but the truth was that he was the one who ran Wayne Manor.

“Right.” Jason nodded, in a hurry to leave but the butler’s gaze held him in place.

“Before you leave,” he started, voice turning serious. “Your sister fulfilled the first part of the bargain.”

Every emotion that Jason was feeling, all of it faded away to nothing, leaving behind surprise and a hint of fear as he stared at the old man. He never truly understood the implications of the curse, how much it took and what it left behind. All he knew was that he needed to break it, to finally get back everything he had lost.

Breaking the curse would never be an easy task, such was Romani magic, constantly forcing him to choose between the things he wanted. Now, he had a chance to keep everything and for that, a deal had been struck. It seemed that today, the first part of the bargain had been fulfilled. While the thought should have made Jason happy, it also scared him because it pushed him closer to the end of his suffering. Everything seemed so easy that he couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop, for something to go horribly wrong.

“Does that mean--” Jason started.

Alfred nodded. “Miss Selina is home. We can finally give her the proper burial she deserves.”

   
  


Roy was no stranger to things going to shit.

His life had been a series of disappointments, those he loved constantly letting him down, constantly reminding him that happiness was only meant for a select few. For people like him, it was a dream he could chase after until the day he died but in the end, all he would ever get was a taste.

But despite all the shit he had been through, despite his anger and sometimes crude nature, Roy had friends. He had been lucky enough to meet two of the best people in the world, people who would always love him and all he ever wanted was to protect them, to make them happy. There were days when he failed at that, days when his own emotions got the best of him but Roy knew that he would never stop trying to mend what he broke. He would do whatever he could to keep Dick and Wally in his life.

Today, life seemed to be testing his resolve.

“Walls, you have to tell me what happened,” Roy asked, pulling his crying friend close but no matter what he said, Wally just shook his head, his body trembling with fear.

“I can’t. I can’t,” he wept, curling into himself.  

From the moment Roy had seen Wally during lunch break, he knew something was wrong. The always cheerful redhead seemed sick, so weak that a single touch would be enough to break him. But despite his red-rimmed eyes, the wounds across his necks, Wally smiled, something so real yet fake at the same time.

Roy tried his best to pretend nothing was wrong, listening intently to the conversation that seemed strangely focused on Dick. He tried to change the topic for his friend’s sake but Wally wouldn’t let them. There was a list of questions that needed to be answered and no one had the heart to deny Wally, not when he looked like he was ready to break down and cry.

As lunch break ended, when Dick was out of sight, that’s exactly what Wally did.

“You can,” Roy cooed, wiping away his friend’s tears. “You can tell me anything. You know I would never judge you.”

Wally shook his head. “I can’t. She won’t let me,” he bit out, flinching as though the words hurt him.

“Who won’t let you?” Roy asked, brows furrowed.

“It doesn’t matter,” Wally started, fingers digging into Roy’s shoulders. “I don’t matter. You need to focus on Dick.”

“Wally, what--”

“Listen to me!” Wally snapped, desperation in his voice. “Dick is in danger and you need to keep him safe.”

“From who?” Was all Roy could ask, staring into his friend’s eyes and looking for answers, for proof that his words were true.

With a whimper escaping his lips, Wally let his head fall, more tears rolling down his cheeks.

“From me.”

 

  
Dick’s eyes searched the sea of students rushing through the halls to go back home. Usually, he would meet his friends after school, hang out by Roy’s locker and chat for a while before he had to leave for his club. Today, however, he just needed to get away from everyone.

Dick loved his friends. He really did. But after answering questions about himself and his relationship with Jason, Dick was exhausted and all he wanted was to go home without Wally pouncing on him once again. There was something strange about the redhead today, he was unusually clingy and demanding. Most of all, he seemed terrified and Dick couldn’t understand why. He was sure that something happened during the time Wally was absent from school but the redhead wouldn’t tell them what.

Sometimes, it felt like he couldn’t.

With no sign of his friends, Dick dove into the crowd and hurried towards the front gate, walking as fast as his feet could carry him. All he had to do was find Alfred and he would be on his way home.

But as his eyes searched for the butler, Dick found a familiar face by the school gates, Jason. A bright smile appeared on his face and now he was rushing for a whole other reason.

Soon, Jason’s arms were wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a hug and calming him down with one touch. “Hey,” he whispered before kissing Dick softly. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Dick smiled, pulling the older down for another kiss. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, Alfred was busy with work and I realized that I haven’t taken you out for a date. I thought we could catch a movie before going home and pretending we’re just friends,” Jason answered, once hand brushing Dick’s hair.

With everything that had been happening, Dick hadn’t even realized that his family would be home today. Bruce and Tim were probably already back from their business trip and knowing his luck, Damian would definitely return by evening. There was no way for Dick and Jason to be together without Damian losing his mind. While the two of them had already decided to hide their relationship until graduation, Dick wasn’t the biggest fan of sneaking around. He would miss being around Jason, holding his hand and kissing him whenever he pleased.

“So, what do you say?” Jason asked with a nervous smile. “Movie?”

With a smile, Dick nodded. “A movie would be great.”

Going on his tiptoes, he was about to kiss Jason again when the older’s head jerked back, eyes wide as he looked at something behind him. Confused by his boyfriend’s reaction, Dick turned around and found Helena staring at the two of them, a confused Barbara by her side.

“Is something wrong?” he asked but Jason didn’t answer, continuing the stare at Helena like she was a ghost. “Jay? Jason?”

Snapping out of his daze, the older finally looked down at Dick, seeming rattled by what he had seen. “Everything okay?” the younger repeated his question, hoping that Jason would be honest.

“Yeah.” The older nodded, eyes flickering back to Helena. “I just saw someone I didn’t think I would.”

“Will you tell me about it later?” Dick asked and Jason smiled, lacing their fingers together.

“Promise.”

And even though he wanted to believe Jason, wanted to have faith in his boyfriend, from the look in Jason’s eyes, his tight smile, Dick knew he was lying.

 

 

Damian bit the inside of his cheek, fingers tightening around the handle of the teacup in front of him, doing what he could to suppress his anger. When he had come to Cain Manor, he had hoped for answers about Jason Todd but the only thing he had gotten were horror stories told to scare children. From the beginning of the conversation, all Valerie Wilkes could tell him was that the manor had been haunted even before the family within died.

“You don’t believe me and I don’t judge you for that. If I were in your place, I wouldn’t believe me either,” she said, her blue eyes boring into him. “But my family has worked for the Cains for generations, I’ve grown up watching the Manor come to life in the dark, the residents increasing when the sunset. When Mr. David did what he did, I was horrified but I wasn’t surprised. That place is cursed and even if you don’t believe in the supernatural, I simply cannot allow you to go inside.”

“I understand that,” Damian bit out, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. “But I just want to know more about Jason Todd and how he is related to the family. If you could give me an hour or so--”

“Absolutely not. I won’t be responsible for another tragedy.” Valerie shook her head. Behind her stood Colin, eyes downcast as he listened to his mother.

“Can you tell me if Jason Todd is related to the Cains?” he asked and Valerie shook her head.

“That family had relatives coming in from all over the world. Just when I thought I had seen them all, new ones would arrive at their doorstep the next day. This Jason you speak of could be a nephew. I can’t say for sure.”

“According to David Cain, he killed every living family member,” Damian pointed out.

Valerie seemed unfazed by his words, leaning in her chair as her eyes bore into Damian. “Then I would take his word and go to the police with this information.”

“There is nothing you can share that will help me and my family?” Damian asked for the last time, running out of patience.

“I’m sorry Mr. Wayne but the farther you are from this house, the better.”

Done with the conversation, Damian slammed his hands on the table and with one last glare at Valerie, he was rushing out the door, fingers balling into fists. Instead of being at home with Richard, instead of taking care of his brother and protecting him from the deviant that lived in their house, Damian had wasted his time coming to Cain Manor. It was obvious that the Wilkes family was too consumed by their own superstitions to think logically and now, Damian would have to find a whole new way to get rid of Todd.

“Wait!”

Turning around, Damian found Colin running towards him, breathing hard as he came to a stop.

“I’m sorry about my mother,” he said, looking apologetic. “Ever since the incident, she has been very paranoid about the house. Even I’m not allowed to go inside.”

“Is there a point to this conversation, Wilkes?” Damian snapped but his anger didn’t faze Colin. Instead, the redhead smiled and pulled a photograph out of his back pocket.

“Well, one time, my parents were out of town so I decided to snoop around Cain Manor. I was a rebellious teen back then.” He chuckled, holding out the photo towards Damian. “I just took this as a keepsake and I think this might be able to help you. The name you mentioned… Jason… it reminded me of the photograph.”

Brows furrowing with confusion, Damian looked down at the black and white photograph in his hand. There were three children, a boy with a sullen expression but a familiar face, standing next to a girl with long black hair and sharp features, sitting on a chair. On her other side was another boy, dressed in worn-out clothes, his face blacked out. Someone seemed to hold a grudge against him.

“Turn the photograph around,” Colin said, bouncing on the balls of his feet, unable to stand still.

Slowly, Damian did as he was told, finding names written on the back in an elegant handwriting: _Jason and Cassandra with…_ once again, the identity of the third boy had been erased.

“This boy… why has he been blacked out?” Damian asked, looking up at Colin who just shrugged.

“I don’t know who he is but whatever he did, it was bad. His name and face have been removed from every photograph and diary entry,” the redhead explained, glancing at the third boy with pity.

_Jason and Cassandra._

From the looks of it, the photograph seemed so old that if it was Todd in the picture, he would have been dead by now. Maybe this was an ancestor of his, the features of the boy matching that of the man living in Wayne Manor. But if that was true, it meant that Jason Todd was in fact who he claimed to be.

“I did manage to find the name of the third boy,” Colin said, clearing his throat and quickly glancing back at his house to make sure his mother wasn’t watching. “It was in one copy of this exact photo but that one had been well preserved… you know… like an important memory.”

At this point, with the new information he had received, Damian didn’t really care for the identity of the third boy. Whether he was a Cain or just a friend, information about him was irrelevant. But since Colin had gone out of his way to help him, Damian decided to humor the redhead.

“Who is he?” he asked and once again, Colin shrugged.

“A friend apparently,” he answered. “His name was Richard Grayson.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~  
> I'm back with another update. Sorry I've been so late with this. I had gone out of town. I'll try to be more regular with updates now that I'm home ^^


	11. Graves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _My hearts a burial ground of your memory_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Graves by Echos

No matter how hard he tried, twisting and turning to get comfortable, tucked under his blanket, kicking it off only to pull it back on again, Colin couldn't sleep. With his back turned towards his bedroom window, he stared at the light brown wall of his room, the events of the day playing out over and over in his head. When Damian Wayne came knocking at the Wilkes' door, he brought the past along with him, leaving it behind so that it could haunt them. 

Even as a child Colin knew that the Cain's weren't normal. He could see the way his parents feared the residents of the house, the nice mistress who gave him cookies when he came back from school, her son who played hide and seek with Colin and obviously, David Cain himself. The man was always angry, eyes full of hate when he looked at the world, when he looked at his family so when he finally lost it, when he finally picked up the knife, those who knew him personally weren't surprised. No one could live in a house that attracted darkness like a moth to a flame and remain sane. At least that's what Colin's mother had said when the news was broken to them. His parents had no tears to shed, no empathy for those who had passed away but Colin had cared. Colin had cried for his friend, the son and also the silhouette in the window.

Just like other parents, Valerie Wilkes told her son stories of monsters with razor-sharp teeth and talons that feasted on naughty children. Their favorites were the ones who were up past their bedtime. Unfortunately, instead of scaring him, Colin only grew curious, refusing to be afraid of something he had never seen. Every night, after his mother kissed his forehead and wished that he would have sweet dreams, when the coast was clear, Colin would sneak out through his bedroom window. From that point on, the Cain estate would be his playground. Running and tumbling through the grass, searching high and low, he tried his best to find the demons his mother spoke of, only to never find what he was looking for. When weariness would set in, he would head back home but not before he made a stop near the manor, standing below the attic window. With his arrival, the lights would turn on and the person living in the window would wave goodnight to Colin. 

This went on until the night of the tragedy struck and David Cain went on a rampage, killing his whole family. Fingers digging into his mother's coat, Colin watched as the bodies of the family were carried out on by one, white sheets stained with blood still leaking out from them. He watched as the house was sealed, police tapes warning people to stay out. 

For a while, Colin quit his games and stayed safe under his bed, afraid that if he went out at night, David Cain would come for him. Maybe that man was the demon his mother had warned him about. But as the months passed, knowing that the person he was so afraid of had been put away for good, unable to help himself, Colin snuck out through his window. With each step, he could now feel how truly alone he was in this huge estate. 

As always, before going back to his house, Colin stopped under the attic window, staring at it with pain in his heart, knowing that his friend would never come back. But just as his footsteps came to a halt, the lights were turned on, the silhouette in the window waving like usual. The air turned cold, Colin's heartbeat dimmed, blood-freezing at the sight of the person who was supposed to be dead. That was when Colin realized what fear was, his screams echoing throughout the estate as he ran back home, begging his parents to save him from the devil he had befriended. And even as he disappeared from sight, the person in the window continued to wave. 

After that incident, Colin had done his best to bury any memories of his childhood spent with the Cain family. He didn't want to remember things he couldn't explain, illusions that haunted him in his sleep. But Damian Wayne's words, the fear, and desperation in his green eyes, it compelled him to face the place he was so afraid of. Something about that house wasn't right, it wasn't when the family was still alive and it definitely wasn't after they died. 

Twisting in his bed, Colin faced his window, knowing that all he had to do was forget again, close his eyes and sleep peacefully. Instead, he found himself sneaking outside, the way he did when he was a child. Heart booming in his ears with each step, the sound vibrated through his skin, bringing goosebumps to life before leaking out through his sweaty fingertips. Even though he had promised he would stay away, somehow he found himself back under the attic window, waiting for reality to settle in. 

Colin stared at the window, waiting for something to happen, the slightest of movement enough to send him running but as seconds turned to minutes, darkness was the only thing that stared back. Half relieved, half disappointed, tucking his hands in his pockets, Colin turned around to leave, ready to sleep peacefully now. But just as his back faced the Manor, light fell on the ground around him, his shadow elongating, a hand passing through it over and over again. His mind could have been playing a trick, all Colin had to do was turn around and wake up from this nightmare. Instead, he found himself heading back home, fingers pulling out his phone and dialing a number, ready to take up Damian Wayne on his offer.

 

 

Pale skin, haunted eyes, Richard Grayson had only been nine years old when he was brought to Wayne Manor. Unlike other children his age, the younger never spoke, never moved unless he was told it was okay for him to do so and most of all, he never dared to step outside in the day, terrified of the sunlight for reasons that no one could understand. Damian had wanted to hate Richard, knowing that he could never be worthy of carrying the Wayne name but as he watched the young boy struggle through life, looking for a way to be normal, he couldn’t help but pity him. There was just something about those sad blue eyes that made everyone in the Manor flock to Richard.

Damian had known that Richard Grayson was strange from the moment they met. Not only was the younger terrified of his own shadow, it turned out, that he had no reason to be as afraid as he was. After all, Richard had no memories whatsoever. Apart from a few glimpses, the faces of his family and his name spoken by a voice familiar, there wasn’t anything else that he could remember. He didn’t know how his parents died, where he lived after they were gone or how his days passed until Bruce found him. There was a void inside him that needed to be filled and Richard had filled it with fear.

Despite wanting nothing to do with the young boy, Damian was forced to take care of him. It was what his father wanted. Reluctantly, he tried to be Richard’s teacher and give him the knowledge he needed to survive in the world, telling him stories about his past that their father had been able to uncover. Somehow, in the process, he began to love the younger like a brother, swearing to himself that he would do whatever it took to keep Richard safe the first time he saw him smile. Now, after looking after Richard for years, watching him grow into a brilliant young man, Damian was terrified for his brother.

Staring at the photograph in his hand, Damian couldn’t take his eyes off the boy whose face had been blackened out, the boy who had a name just like his brother's. There wasn’t a lot that anyone knew about Richard’s past except that his parents were Romani acrobats in Haly’s circus. A three-person act, the family flew together, daring to do feats that most people wouldn’t. Father had told them that one such act took the lives of John and Mary Grayson, leaving Richard an orphan. They didn’t really have an extended family, no grandparents, aunts or uncles to look after the youngest Grayson but could it be that when he was young, Richard was Todd’s friend? But that wasn't possible. Todd was much too old to be the boy in the photograph and Richard was just too young. Were the people in the photograph ancestors with similar names? If so, then why was the one named Richard removed from each memory? Was that reason related to why Todd was now in their home?  

Damian’s mind gave him questions after questions but there was no answer, just confusion and a feeling that something was terribly wrong. If he was in his right mind, the only thing left to do was to return home and explain the situation to his father. Hopefully, that would help Damian drive Todd away from his brother.

Running his fingers through his head, Damian fell back in the bed and stared up at the ceiling of his hotel room, worried but also slightly terrified. While he hoped that the truth was simple, boring and normal, he knew deep down that whatever he was about to uncover would change the way he viewed the world.

Damian’s eyes had just closed, the photograph slipping out of his hand, when his phone started ringing. Startled awake, he hit the answer button without even looking at the caller ID, hoping that it was Timothy on the other side but the voice that greeted him was another’s.

“Um… um… is this Damian Wayne? It’s uh… Colin Wilkes. We met today?”

“I hope you have a good reason for calling me at this hour, Wilkes,” Damian muttered, sitting up straight.

“You want to get into Cain Manor, yeah?” Colin asked, not in the mood to play around. “Well, I can help. Tomorrow…. in a few hours actually, my parents are going out of town to visit some relatives. Come around 3 and I’ll let you in.”

“Why have you decided to help me?” Damian asked. He was grateful for the opportunity provided but he wondered why the man who was so reluctant to even look at Cain Manor had suddenly changed his mind.

For a while, there was silence on the other side, a quiet so terrifying that Damian thought Colin had cut the call. But then, suddenly, the other man took in a deep breath. “I just want to know the truth,” he whispered, voice broken but determined.

  
  
   
  


Dick had had this dream so many times.

Under Wayne Manor’s gothic structure, beyond the red door he never dared to enter, down the spiral staircase illuminated by lanterns, deeper and deeper into the Earth he went, whether willingly or manipulated, he could never tell. Slowly the flame that lit his path would fade away, flickering and struggling to stay alive in the never-ending darkness that waited with its arms wide open and Dick fell in head first, no wings to break his fall.

When his vision returned to him, he found himself inside a hidden catacomb, lying on a stone slab and stripped off anything that could possibly keep him warm. The dead watched his shivering form, silent and judging, tasting his fear and hesitation as his eyes frantically moved from skull to skull, a collection of people forgotten by the world. Heart hammering in his chest, breath hitching, Dick was well aware that there was nothing holding him down. He could run away whenever he wanted to, leave behind everything that scared him. Instead, he chose to stay.

Salvation came in the form of cold fingers, their touch so familiar, grazing across his skin, igniting sparks in his veins as someone leaned over his frame. Nails dug into his shoulder as a thumb pressed against his lips, hard enough to hurt but never enough to bleed. Through all this, Dick bit down on his tongue, trying to hold in his voice and _his captor? His savior?_ Would force his mouth open, wanting to hear all the sounds he tried to hideaway.

“I know you’re scared.” Lips pressed against his neck, small kisses leaving goosebumps in their wake. “But I’m here now.” Fingers intertwined, a little squeeze for reassurance and Dick let his eyes flutter shut. “And I’m never letting you go.” Throat closing up, he felt fear, scared of the implications behind the words spoken.

Heart booming in his ears, Dick’s eyes closed and opened, struggling to adjust in the darkness that blinded him, the shadows that slithered across the many bones held within the catacomb, forcing him to see nothing but black. Inky wisps stroked his skin, wrapping around his limbs that twitched with each blink, pushing against the blindfold that hid away the one that was caressing his face, whispering promises into his ears.

“Don’t fight me, Dickie,” a familiar voice said, low and deep but a mistake because those words were enough to unravel the truth, shadows running away as if burned to reveal Jason’s face, those beautiful green eyes stained blood red, irises glowing in the dark.

And that’s when Dick woke up, air filling into his empty lungs with a rush as his eyes fell on the stars that twinkled in the night sky.

Stinging pain snapped him out of the daze he was in, forcing his mind to look away from the face that had been haunting his dreams to see the trees that surrounded his barely covered body. The Manor grounds, that’s where he was, far away from the room and the bed that he had fallen asleep in, his bare feet covered with dirt and blood from wounds that he acquired while walking, never feeling the pain of rocks slicing open his skin.

The recurring dreams of the red door under the staircase and the catacombs that could never exist under the manor had always terrified Dick. He was never a superstitious person since he was brought up by Damian who only believed in things he could see but there was something about these dreams and the way they unfolded like a story that he had read before that always made Dick wonder if there was a deeper meaning that he was missing, a warning that he couldn’t see. But before, they were just dreams, easily forgettable as the day went on. Unfortunately, now, those very dreams were affecting his real life, forcing him out of bed in his sleep, memories that he needed to piece together important events missing.

There was something so terribly wrong with Dick and he was terrified of finding out exactly what.

“Dick.”

Head snapping up, Dick noticed Wally standing a few feet away from him, the redhead’s hair a mess as tears rolled down his cheeks. For a second, Dick wondered if this was a dream because there was no way that his friend would be here in the dead of the night.

But then, Wally took a step forward, crying out his name once again.

“Walls… is that really you? What are you doing here?” Dick asked, worry filling into his veins, every thought about his haunting dreams replaced as fear fled, eyes raking over Wally’s disheveled state.

Taking in a deep breath, the redhead stopped moving, biting down hard enough on his lower lip to make it bleed. His body trembled as his fingers twitched on his side, struggling to curl into fists, fighting against themselves.

“Wally?” Dick called out, reaching out his hand and that’s when Wally broke down, the fight leaving his body as his eyes opened once again, staring at his friend with regret.

“I’m so sorry, Dickie,” he whispered, shaking with tears.

“I don’t understand…” Dick started but he never had the chance to finish his sentence.

Apologies falling from his lips, tear after tear falling from his eyes, within a blink of an eye, Wally attacked Dick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update took way longer than I thought it would. I just had a lot of stuff happening irl. Things have calmed down a bit but I fear they'll pick up again so don't expect regular updates. Sorry about that.


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